
Whether you’re
cooking, traveling, or expecting company, my guess is you’re gonna be pretty
busy this coming week. We’ll save “Growing Your Writing” for next week and just
do something fun.
Thanksgiving/
Holiday Prompt:
Write anything:
either a prose poem, a free-verse or form poem, or a short piece of fiction
from the viewpoint of an orchestra.
Let the cook be the
conductor and see where the prompt takes you.
Maybe all the different dishes are
the instruments
Or the pieces of each table setting
are the instruments
The empty chairs might be a theater
waiting for the audience to arrive
Maybe the different dishes are the
audience
Or the guests are the audience.
Describe them
Describe the musicians. Maybe they are the different dishes
Is there wine? Maybe the wine is the
conductor’s baton
Is it buffet or sit down? What is the buffet line, guests or food?
![]() |
from wikipedia |
If you can, see the
cook greeting everyone in the kitchen, wearing a white apron and holding a
ladle in one hand as she directs them to pour a glass of wine, or
carving a turkey
with a knife/baton as long as a tree limb, the slices falling off silent and
even as the anticipation builds up, guests being directed to tables dressed
with fresh flowers and chafing dishes, or
the violins of
roasted asparagus tuning up with the flutes of snap peas, the twinkle of
triangle bubbles, the percussion of stuffing overlaid by the horns calling the
traditional dishes to sound out the key of C.
If not, what can you
see?
The beginning of
October I wrote about Odes, and quickly riffed an Ode to Mashed Potatoes:
Think about the silky smoothness of them
on your tongue,
the way you can make a well for the
gravy
and it’s a reservoir just for you and
your spoon.
How they’re like the desert clouds
softly floating by
out the window, a bed
with the softest flannel sheets
caressing your palate
as you dream of turkey and stuffing,
cranberry sauce five ways,
and the matching pumpkin pie—
softness waiting just for you—
before you grab your sleeping bag,
go out on the porch to watch for falling
stars.
If something like that works for you, write that.
Write it before the holiday or after the holiday.
Take notes during
the dinner if you want (but please don’t write on anyone’s cloth napkins…grab a
notepad from next to the phone). If you write anything you'd like to share, PLEASE add it to the comments! I'd love to see what you came up with!
Be thinking about it, have a wonderful dinner, drive safely,
use potholders if you’re cooking, and remember that the next day, a turkey
sandwich on egg bread, with mayonnaise, lettuce, and a pinch of salt is the
next best thing to heaven!!!! xo
Tobi Alfier's most recent collection of poetry is Slices Of Alice. She is also co-editor with Jeff Alfier of the San Pedro River Review. Don't miss Tobi's columns on the craft of poetry: insert your email address in the "Follow By Email" box to the right of this article and you'll be notified every time a new article appears.
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