Just down the road from my house, I had to pull over to get a photo of red berries in the November sunset.
I’m not real sure, though, what they are. To my eye, they could be chokecherries, but my sister Reni thinks they’re honeysuckle. After several comparison internet photos, I concede she may be right, but her choice doesn’t work so well with my poetic imagination, so I go ahead with chokecherries.
Chokecherries are poisonous to animals with segmented stomachs. In the fall, after a frost, the wilting leaves release cyanide, making the fruit sweeter, perhaps more enticing to passing deer, cattle, or moose.
I was thinking about how we can taste the difference between a grass-fed or corn-fed steak and thought I could have a little fun with an otherwise tragic wildlife death at the edge of a field.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody, and may the turkey buzzards stay far away from your gathering!
A Turkey Buzzard Thanksgiving
After the wilting of first frost,
the chokecherries have
grown sweet with death,
a poison killing
straight through the abomasum
as the carrion congregate,
giving thanks for the gathering,
for the feast,
for Aunt Mavis,
her melodious voice
calling us in to dine,
and lest we forget,
thanks also for the providence
of this fresh carcass,
for the fruity taste of its flesh.
Chokecherries are poisonous to animals with segmented stomachs. In the fall, after a frost, the wilting leaves release cyanide, making the fruit sweeter, perhaps more enticing to passing deer, cattle, or moose.
I was thinking about how we can taste the difference between a grass-fed or corn-fed steak and thought I could have a little fun with an otherwise tragic wildlife death at the edge of a field.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody, and may the turkey buzzards stay far away from your gathering!
A Turkey Buzzard Thanksgiving
After the wilting of first frost,
the chokecherries have
grown sweet with death,
a poison killing
straight through the abomasum
as the carrion congregate,
giving thanks for the gathering,
for the feast,
for Aunt Mavis,
her melodious voice
calling us in to dine,
and lest we forget,
thanks also for the providence
of this fresh carcass,
for the fruity taste of its flesh.
| Copyright © 2022 by Maik Strosahl Michael E. Strosahl has focused on poetry for over twenty years, during which time he served a term as President of the Poetry Society of Indiana. He relocated to Jefferson City, Missouri, in 2018 and currently co-hosts a writers group there. |
Very nice. Good imagery and excellent use of vocabulary to paint a successful canvas.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michael
ReplyDeleteAnd I concur with Michael. Thank you both for all your submissions to Moristotle & Co. We are all honored by your joining us and contributing to our bounty.
ReplyDelete