Lost Poetry Quotations
 In search of a long lost poem? Remember only a fragment? Post here! 

eMule -> The Poetry Archive -> Forums -> Lost Poetry Quotations


Goto Thread: PreviousNext
Goto: Forum ListMessage ListNew TopicSearchLog In
watermellon poem from high school
Posted by: phillyohio (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: October 25, 2021 09:55PM

There was some American poem, I believe, that was about a watermellon pickle or watermellon jar. Ring a bell for anyone?


Re: watermellon poem from high school
Posted by: lg (---.ca.charter.com)
Date: October 25, 2021 10:03PM

Philly, any of these?

[members.shaw.ca] />

Les


Re: watermellon poem from high school
Posted by: Marcia Landau Elbrand (---.clvdoh.adelphia.net)
Date: June 16, 2022 09:48PM

Dear Friend,
The book, copyright date 1966, was "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle." published by Scott Foresman. The poem of the title was written by John Tobias.

Here it is:

Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle
Received from a Friend Called Felicity

During that summer
When unicorns were still possible;
When the purpose of knees
Was to be skinned;
When shiny horse chestnuts
(Hollowed out
fitted with straws
crammed with tobacco
stolen from butts
In family ashtrays)
Were puffed in green lizard silence
While straddling thick branches
Far above and away
From the softening effects
of civilization;

During that summer--
Which may never have been at all;
But which has become more real
Than the one that was---
Watermelons ruled.

Thick pink imperial slices
Melting frigidly on sun-parched tongues
Dribbling from chin;
leaving the best part,
The black bullet seeds,
To be spit out in rapid fire
Against the wall
Against the wind
Against each other;

And when the ammunition was spent,
There was always another bite;
It was a summer of limitless bites,
Of hungers quickly felt
And quickly forgotten
With the next careless gorging.

The bites are fewer now.
Each one is savored lingeringly,
Swallowed reluctantly.

But in a jar put up by Felicity,
The summer which maybe never was
Has been captured and preserved.
And when we unscrew the lid
And slice off a piece
And let it linger on our tongue;
Unicorns become possible again.

-----
Sent by Marcia L. Elbrand, who, in 1965, was teaching
ninth grade English at Roxboro Jr. High, in Cleveland
Heights, OH ---


Re: watermellon poem from high school
Posted by: Hugh Clary (---.denver-04rh16rt.co.dial-access.att.net)
Date: June 17, 2022 12:17PM

Nice catch!




Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
This poetry forum at emule.com powered by Phorum.