Reflections on Independence Day Traditions
I wrote this as part of a writing exercise where I looked at a photograph and wrote free verse until I stopped. It’s no where near finished, but it’s some thoughts on our new traditions.
Stars and stripes – Forever
is the shelf-life of that not-all-pork product
being consumed by a wide-eyed child,
fingers painted in mustard and
high fructose loaded tomato ketchup -
a toddler trying to catch up to
the latest world record set
by competition eaters,
or should we call them “Champion Gluttons,”
or “Eat Healthy, America Defeaters”?
Men and women shove enriched, processed flour oblong buns
drenched in watered-down,
not-from-the-juice-of-real-lemons pink lemonade.
That’s the unnatural, all-American way.
Meanwhile grandmother leans over
her new convection oven
to pull out tonight’s homemade pie
filled with not quite white,
sweet and cinnamon speckled apples,
held in place by wet candy cement -
Granny Smiths imported from Chile,
and courtesy of Pillsbury,
she no longer needs to make a crust from scratch.
