Scott bought Liver at Whole Foods - Poems: House - Bare Chested Men - Meryl Streep in the Kitchen - JOHANN STRAUSS - THE LITTLE JELLY DOUGHNUT WOODS-

I nabbed a piece of calves liver from Scott for dinner. Sprinkled tarragon on the rather flavorless organ meat. To the right are my remaining matzoh balls.

Not shown is a great desert I made with coconut milk, pecans and blueberries.

Should I stuff myself, I wondered.

Oh go ahead, said the voice of Lucifer.

For lunch, I went to next door neighbor Eileen's with my huge salad and two overly salted rice cakes.

She fed me Mott's applesauce in a packet and a choice of any Italian cookie.

   Bad choice, Ruthie. It had almond flavoring, which I don't care for, but ate it like a champ.



Sarah wrote a great essay you can read here.

CLARESSA SHIELDS IS THE REAL MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Sarah followed her subject all over the world including China.

Because you follow my blog so closely, Dear Reader, you know that I was listening to the above audio in the kitchen while I cook and the darn thing began hiccupping uncontrollably during the last two terribly exciting disks.

I returned it at the libe and explained with all my might about the last two disks. Will they do anything about it?

Today I picked up the novel and read it (1) in bed, (2) on the back porch, and (3) finished it on the living room couch.

Phillip Magulies: What a spectacular ending you wrote! Bravo!

Ready for my poems?

BARE CHESTED MEN

I viewed him from the
car window while driving
home. Big-bellied, gesticulating
with a cup of America's favorite
in his hand.

I sniffed the new rain on
the asphalt and with it, attendant
worms who come out to worship
the sun

Was hoping Ted would be out. Now
there's a body beautiful,
as well-proportioned as a
pin oak tree, every leaf a perfect
specimen of Plato's ideal of beauty.

We know what we like. Two of my
elderly aunts - we'll call them
Aunt Helen and Flora - flirted
like coquettes until forced
underground.

Is their niece any different?


MERYL STREEP IS IN THE KITCHEN

Such an honor! I daren't go in.
She's reading The Enormous Radio
by the late John Cheever, a com-
plicated man, reads his son Ben.

Read read read!

What about the world
blossoming outside on this
spectacular day? The smell of
last night's rain still in the air.

In my old scuffed brown clogs
I revel in the light o day
while depositing my detritus
in the crowded compost heap.

At night it lights up, as a
fox or ground hog or fairy princess
comes in to feed.

Hope you enjoyed your breakfast
as much as I did. The cracked
brown eggs, crown the heap,
while the raisin toast awaits
in the kitchen if Meryl
hasn't eaten it all up.





JOHANN STRAUSS - THE LITTLE JELLY DOUGHNUT WOODS

(heard the other morning on WRTI-FM)

We marched through the woods,
searching for the treats
We waved to the dozens of children munching
the walls and the roof of Hansel and Gretel's
hut, now that the witch was dead.

Where are the jelly doughnuts, asked
brown-eyed Grace, looking about.

Don't worry, said Max, I'll find them,
as he stumbled on the root of a tree.

Bubby helped him up as he pointed toward
the sky.

I think it's raining, said Max, in his new
short haircut that shown like chocolate milk.

Thousands of jelly doughnuts reigned down
from the sky, wrapped in tissue paper twisting
and turning like dreidels.

Could it be?
Was it a mirage?
Were they being fooled?

Only one way to tell.
The three of us sniffed,
then took a bite.

They were real all right.
Max had powdered sugar on his nose,
Grace looked like she was wearing lipstick
and Bubby refrained. She didn't want to
spoil her appetite. Her matzoh ball soup
was waiting at home.


HOUSE

I, like a turtle, carry
my house on my back

In my pink bedroom
the night is dark

spooky almost
but my house

comforts me
it is not silent

but heaves, cracks,
a mouse died yesterday

in a trap, his brown
tail still

I carried him
sadly to the trash can

Who else lives here
A huge black spider

was it Charlotte? made
herself at home on

my kitchen ceiling
an astonishing black

like Japanese calligraphy
with a broom I caught

her, plopped her gently
on the porch steps

the stars hover above us
just as turtles await

the dawn to appear on the
waters of the Pennypack

Awake! The world will cry
and my eyes will open

to a brand new day.