Saturday 19 September 2020

Kate's (everyday) plate - the naming of things

 Kate’s (everyday) plate.

 

GOLF – not only not an acronym for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. 

 

Grandparents gave Mother and Uncle names 

they would never be able to pronounce, distinguished?/able?, 

Englishable, to be inserted where GOLF names were allowed 


(a place.) Then extracted, with each rough call

to table, when culture flavours signature dishes

(plated) in native and alien colours. Extracting history snippets 

as if we were wishes around a bird table: in the nuts, honey

and apple (Haroset) or in tears of horse ra (dishes.)

 

In the names of birds taken, their songs and wings to grieve in.

Or of a tree, imagined roots to build shelter foundation.

 

Bird or a movie star?  Now we are: The Ladies who Lunch. Lunch

daily on her last bone china plate stamped with The Crown.

The hallmark blessing before eating, and tucked, tea 

towel-coddled in gratitude on her top shelf. High above 

the ancient back-home chipped make-do-with-it gifts

of everyday, back then, not nearly as much loved.


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