Grocery Day (short poetry fiction)

On occasion I dabble in fiction and usually it is not that exciting but hey this is a blog were else should I post my creative flows.I think I'll post fiction and poetry more often.I might as well add my own stories to the mix.

Morgan McWilliams and I have been friends for twenty years and over one hundred barbecues.

Time has flown by so quickly since the day we met in the meat section of Food A Rama.

That was the year I found my prize winning roast, yet to hear her tell the story I stole it.

I recall spotting that particular piece of meat laying in the bin slightly peering out at me.

It was underneath a couple of fat laden rewrapped excuses for fresh quality pork.

I scooped it up and into my cart before she even made it out of the poultry section.

Of course after the fact, miss eagle eyes came running over to view what was in my basket.
Then she had the nerve to get in line behind me,I had to find out who this noisy body was.

We started chatting,in five minutes we shared our love of cooking and similar sense of humor



Today I'm back in the same market, for the same reason, well almost.
It's smaller than I remember,the grey speckled pattern floors look old too.
At least they are clean, after all who wants to sort through dirt to find loose change.
Yes that is exactly why they put that design in here, they want their sale money back.
The minute you reach in your pocket and a dime drops a silent alarm goes off in the back.
A guy with a extra long dust mop comes out during store hours to claim these little offerings.
They could clean the floor at closing like the other chains do but customers might slip on silver. If that happened prices would go up higher than they already are in this little dinky place.
That's not why I'm here though, I'm searching for another little beauty to grill on Labor day.

I can still recall the best ever plate of swine I have had, it was in September at Morgan's.
Labor day she invited to me her house for the traditional last cookout of the year.
Front and center on the table was a beautiful piece of grilled pork, picture perfect.
Never have I tasted a piece of meat as tender and flavorful, I had to know the recipe.
She smiled and said "I would give it to you but I've suddenly developed culinary amnesia".
We laughed, I figured she would take that secret to her grave and she did so I thought.

I found it neatly written in between the creases of my birthday card,the last one she sent me. Two years, that's how long it took to discover the hidden message, girlfriend tricked me again!
I was on a budget that year having just sent my only clone off to college leaving moi in a funk. One year older and an empty nester at that the note said,it also had a gift card from Shelley's.
It fell in my purse immediately, I didn't even call her up. Instead I rushed to Shelley's boutique. What woman wouldn't like to treat herself to bath oils, soaps, chocolates and spices in a crisis. She knew I had not pampered myself in years, not since my divorce and that food was my joy.
I needed those things to get me through the insane world I found myself working in at the time.

I forgot to tell y'all I'm a pack rat,everyone knows it,I no longer deny the fact, it's pointless.
I managed to hold on to everything from the day I was born, at least it appears that way.
When Morgan passed I went back over every note,picture and card she ever sent me.
That's how I found it,Baby sis surely did get me good on that one.I can see her smiling now.
I was one month older than her but to me she was the wiser elder and a good listener.
Somehow she knew my heart stories, as I tried to sugar coat them with verbal reconstruction.

That's why I drove back across town to the old neighborhood to grocery shop.
Driving down University Ave was the only familiar left on that side of the city for me.
I wanted to go back home and walk into the memories I left behind so long ago .
We were two young sisters living a block apart.I was raising my child alone,she was all alone.
I found a built in baby sitter and she found a new extended family all was perfect.
Still holds so many memories most have faded but a few are still as clear as a Autumn day.

My cart had to be as old as the store and of course I found the one with a broken wheel.
The section for meats had more factory packaged butts than nicely trimmed butchered cuts.
Still I managed to find a nice shoulder at a decent price eighty nine cents a pound not bad at all.
My daughter the wonder lust child was coming home and I wanted to prepare aunties roast.
Never mind the child gave up meat years ago but conveniently forgets when I grill a shoulder.
We sat and talked that night a deep mother daughter exchange full of love and life tales.
It felt like she was there with us, as we cleared the table and our hearts I thought of the future.

I said a silent prayer for the both of us that we may both continue our journey in light.
My wish for my child included spiritual wealth,to be able to live a life of substance.
Her world should be balanced with enough joy to overcome any sorrow in it's many forms.
If she chooses to raise a family that she stays open to learning what must be passed on.
I hoped too she experiences the joy of unconditional friendship the core of true sisterhood.
I found that many years ago and I haven't stopped growing since .

Hillary Obama and Edwards

It's that time again when candidates in both parties gear up for the on coming presidential election. With democrats regaining both the house and the senate I guess the job looks a little more appealing.
We are however are in a whole new ball game now. Abroad Iraq has fallen in to a civil war, a holocaust is still going on in oil rich Sudan, Civil war continues in Somalia as well as Liberia which begins the long process of recovering from it's civil war. Major oil reserves in Nigeria and a few other African nations has the oil thirsty US and China looking very closely. Peaceful India wants nukes and Iran claims to have the technology for nukes, while South Korea brazenly tested theirs. I question how we will deal with these anti western places. We are also in need of mending relationships in Europe, which is probably counting the days to a new election of here.
At home in the pass six years consumer debt is up, as the war economy looks like it's booming the debt continue to rise with our grandchildren being left to pick up the bill. Sorting of health care for the elderly takes prayers, the knowledge of a lawyer, and advice from a physic predicting future ailments.Money for higher educational loans was reduced and no child left behind is kicking more than a few school districts from the curb to the gutter as they try the almost impossible task of keeping up while serving the neediest students on an ever shrinking budget. There was a battle for a living minimum wage while at the same time arguments continue about what to do with the immigration crises.My goodness who would want to deal with this mess.Well Apparently lots of folk the hats are being thrown in the fire left and right,no pun intended this week.
Former senator Edwards announced his intent to run first in New Orleans. During the last presidential election I liked what he had in mind.Living in North Carolina I was able to draw
from his service in that states affairs as a clue to his record.I'd like to know what he has learned and now that he is after the big chair and not the side car what's his vision for the country.
Hillary has announced while issuing a statement of "I'm in it to win". How will she separate from Bills presidency concerns and what issues will she push besides health acre. Senator Barak Obama has an exploratory committee out fund raising but I wonder are he Hillary and Edwards after the same dollars. Is the country ready for a black man in the white house.Most importantly can he convince African Americans that he has an inclusive plan for their needs without scaring white voters away.sadly I don't think he could ever be black enough for some people of
"American enough" for others and what about his personal safety if he runs. We have a good deal of questions in need of answering at this point.