Last Meal

Posted on 2020-11-23 by Bartholomew Barker

Last Meal

From death row
I want my last meal
to be Thanksgiving

A crackling brown turkey
carved by my father
with a serrated knife
my mother prefers
the tasty dark meat
give me the juicy white
my brother mixed stuffing
with his bare hands
spiced with too much sage
lumpy mashed potatoes
still with the skins
salt pepper and butter

Passing serving plates
heaped with memory
grandmother to granddaughter
uncles to nephews
cousins to cousins to cousins
it’s the stories
I remember
more than the food

For dessert
the proverbial pumpkin pie
nutmeg and whipped cream
and my family busts me out
just before midnight

(Inspired by this week’s Living Poetry Prompt. Happy Thanksgiving!)

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About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.
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10 Responses to Last Meal

  1. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2020-11-23 at 19:46

    Mmmmm. Yum!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatar Lisa Tomey says:
    2020-11-23 at 19:58

    Last line for the win!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. purplestoneblog's avatar purplestoneblog says:
    2020-11-23 at 21:28

    Terrific image of the reason for food, to gather around the table with family or friends! The food is great but the memories of the personalities who joined us.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Katy Claire's avatar Katy Claire says:
    2020-11-25 at 23:39

    Oh I love it! So well penned ♥️ Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁🍽

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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