Strollermelon
In the summer I roll them from grocer to bus stop, little bonnets
affixed, cooing all the while – cantaloupe, watermelon, honey dew,
casaba, canary, sugar, you name it, they all come home with me,
in pairs or solo, snuggled tightly in blankets and ensuring
dropped-jaw, raised-eyebrow gapes from those who approach.
Don’t they look just like their mother, I ask, and no one ever disagrees.
Everybody is so nice, even the teen-age boys who no longer offer up
their seats. But Damon, who recently purchased new pants to impress
Wanda-I’m-An-Attorney, enjoys whispering secrets to us. Did you
know they’re actually berries? And that some are called fruit,
others, vegetables? They’re not much good for pies, though. I just
call them “Mel,” which is funny because I know that you’re not
supposed to name something you’re going to eat, and really, I do
recognize the difference between sentient beings and plants, but
then candidate Harumph comes to mind, and how do you explain
him and his followers? When cool weather approaches, I turn to
squash. Happy acorn, the elongated, sad butternut, pumpkin. Each
holds a niche in my heart, and I love strolling down the sidewalk
with them, humming tunes, adjusting stems, planning meals.
“Strollermelon” was first drafted during the August 2016 Tupelo Press 30-30 challenge, and was published in Quiet Letter in April 2017. Thanks to Plain Jane for providing the odd title. One never knows what’ll arise from sponsored titles!
O at the Edges 
This poem makes me smile. The minute I read the title, not seeing the poem itself, I pictured exactly what the poem describes. Such a cool piece.
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It was a fun one to write, and the scenario unfolded as soon as I received the title from Plain Jane.
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this is such a wonderfully fun poem, yet it speaks beneath the rind to the ironic sweetness of human nature – it just flows so well, as we’re walking along, with these precious babies, had me smiling a wide, cheek stretching smile
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With this one, the sponsored titled told me where to go. The poem certainly never would have been written had PJ not offered the title!
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Inspiration comes in many offbeat ways. Great idea and concept. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
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So true! Thank you, and I hope you have a great week, too.
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thanks 🙂
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Delightful!
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Thanks, Jazz. I do so enjoy writing persona poems…
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quirky and wonderful.
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Quirky is my middle name. Well, it could be. 🙂
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I adore this. 🙂
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Thank you, Shawna. I’m so pleased it resonates for you.
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Big time. I want to do it.
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Then you should. And we want photos!
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🙂
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Just what I needed to make me smile, in bed with a nasty case of bronchitis. Thanks indeed to Plain Jane, the impetus for such a delight.
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So sorry to hear about your bronchitis, Angela. Ick! But I’m glad the poem made you smile.
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Super!
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Thank you!
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I grinned at this one. A genuine grin.
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Then my day is complete! 😀
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😀😀😀!
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hahahaha… wow.
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Glad you like it. Thank you.
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Candidate Harumph?
That’s President Harumph to you!
😉
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Don’t remind me. As if he could be ignored…
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