Friday, November 5, 2021

GRANDMA'S DUMPLINGS

 FRIDAY WRITINGS


When I think of food, I think of my grandmother’s chicken and dumplings.  On our visits, I enjoyed the entire process.  First a fat hen into the pot, simmering away and smelling wonderful.  Then putting flour on the great round table, and adding the richest of the juices from the pot until a dough formed.  I see her now, rolling pin in hand, rolling out the rich dough, then cutting it into squares which became pillows of delight along with the deboned chicken bits that had been returned to the pot.  Then, seated around the great round table, grandpa would say the grace that I recorded in the following poem.  Submitted to Poets & Storytellers United, November 5, 2021

***********

I remember grandma’s kitchen

from those days of long ago

for never king no president 

saw such a wondrous show

The smell of grandma’s dumplings

I remember to this day,

and just as surely I recall

Grandpa saying “Let us pray”.

Then, gathered around the table

each seated in our place

large and small we’d bow our heads

as Grandpa said the grace.

“The corn”, he’d say, “is might dry.

Lord we pray you see fit for rain,

and Neighbor Brown is poorly, Lord

We pray you ease his pain”.

And the trails of steam grew shorter

over Grandma’s wondrous bounty

as Grandpa brought before the Lord

each sinner in the county.

He’s finished, surely, I would think.

there is no more to ask…

only to hear to my dismay

Grandpa warming to his task.

“We pray, oh Lord, for wisdom

for the leaders of our land

that they may steer this country

with a sure and steady hand.”.

His burdens laid upon the Lord

Grandpa would finally reach amen.

When heads were raised, forks were poised

all ready to dig in.

Now I know Grandpa’s in heaven

for it is his rightful place

but when God’s hungry, I’ll bet he says

“You set the table, Fred, I’ll say the grace.”

***********

I see them now, the beloved faces at that table.  All passed now into the Great What Comes After, but living still in the memory of those of us privileged to have had a seat at Grandma’s table.



17 comments:

  1. This is such a wonderful memory... and a nice ending!

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  2. I love that this ended with a giggle. I can certainly imagine a supreme being taking over saying grace, so that everyone could get to the yumminess a lot sooner.

    Your grandma's dumplings--and the process--sound delicious, Bev.

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  3. Oh Bev, how dear this rhyming poem .... tugs at my heartstrings.

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  4. Dinner with the grandparents is such a beautiful and important tradition that I hope we never lose.

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  5. What a nice memory. My grandmother's cooking left something to be desired! On my mother's side, she canned green beans, and served them every single meal when we visited. Fine, but she didn't trust her own canning, and boiled them until they were grey and squishy. Not that doing so would stop botulism anyway. The other grandmother refused to cook much after tasting my mother's biscuits (well, they have won ribbons in fairs for me and my oldest son!)! My mother never made dumplings. Maybe not a CA thing, which we were way back on both sides. I made dumplings for my son to know what they were from the song "She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain."

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  6. This is so cute! I love the closing. :)

    Also this:
    “Neighbor Brown is poorly, Lord
    We pray you ease his pain”.
    And the trails of steam grew shorter
    over Grandma’s wondrous bounty
    as Grandpa brought before the Lord
    each sinner in the county.”

    I’m sure this is how our kids feel when we pray over them too.

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  7. Such a wonderful memory! And I love the gently humorous ending.

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  8. "Now I know Grandpa’s in heaven

    for it is his rightful place

    but when God’s hungry, I’ll bet he says

    “You set the table, Fred, I’ll say the grace.”

    oh bev, you are blessing

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  9. I had a great grandmother also, her dish that was my favorite was scalloped oysters. We would gather at her house for holiday get-togethers, she made yummy deserts that all of us would eat. Grandma would also cook the rabbits that my father killed, I wouldn't eat one even on a dare. One of our Uncles would say the prayer, I never heard grandpa pray. I heard him cuss a lot though.
    ..

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  10. A wonderful surprise ending. You should submit it to one of the magazines like "Guidepost" to share with many others

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Joel. I'd never considered aubmitting any of my poems for publication, but appreciate your coment.

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  11. what a wonderful memory and poem.
    i like how people thank their God for food before their meals. this shows gratitude, and respect for the land.

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  12. There's something beautiful in the memory of your Grandma's dumplings. And the image of your family sitting at a dinner table saying the grace before eating, brings back my own childhood memories. But your Grandpa’s generosity; praying for every sinner and hungry God opting to do the grace himself instead had me chuckling.

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  13. Love your poem! It reminds me of being the guest at a meal long ago where the grace was so long, the food was only lukewarm by the time we got to eat it. **sigh**

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  14. The meal sounds delicious. I'm sure the eating took far less time than the grace. I love the ending as well.

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