PHOTO BY GREG DUPREE
I.
Momma slices the bananas thin,
boils the vanilla pudding
with freshly manicured hands,
but it is my job to decorate
the dish with Nilla wafers,
coordinate a synchronized swim
through whipped waves,
love in laps around the brim.
Banana Pudding,
after months apart,
custard simmering.
My sisters and I
faces pressed to glass windows
like the sweet wafers
waiting for warmth
and good-feeling.
II.
Banana Pudding,
Southern gentlemen
with layers of honor,
Dad turns the doorknob open,
kisses each of us
in order of descent.
His stories of far away lands,
spoonfuls of gooey goodness.
Banana Pudding,
the oven’s warming,
prelude to giggles and grins.
Nobody argues over banana pudding
at our family reunion.
©2023 | K. Hartless
GloPoWriMo#29 Now, write your own two-part poem that focuses on a food or type of meal. At some point in the poem, describe the food or meal as if it were a specific kind of person. Give the food/meal at least one line of spoken dialogue.
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
This is a delicious poem, K! 🥰🤭
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Thank you, John. I was brainstorming all day which dish to write about and then the answer was right there during dinner.
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Wonderful! ☺️
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Delicious. Decadent. Divine. 👏 😋
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Thank you, Selma. The sweetest memories.
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rich and sumptuous; mouth wateringly good; at last, a poem you could eat 🙂
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Oh, you have such a way with words. You’ve got me with a banana-wide grin. Thank you, John.
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well deserved 🙂 I had dreams last night of that yummy Banana Pudding 🙂 your word magic worked 🙂
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Ah, stop pudding’ me on. Truly that sounds like scrumptious snoring. 💜
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hahahah; I’ll pay that 🙂
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Beautifully written ❤️
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Many thanks. There are those dishes that have lots of layers of meaning. This is mine, I suppose.
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Nice 👍
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This was wonderful, K! ‘faces pressed to glass windows
like the sweet wafers
waiting for warmth
and good-feeling.’ – nothing brings a family together like group dessert 🙂
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Indeed. It was this one over and over again each time my father returned from work trips. There was a time when I couldn’t stand it, but now, it’s sweet again. 🙂
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Beautiful writing K. and one that reminded me of a similar experience with my mom, brother, and this dessert. Thank you for that! I have to make this now! 😆
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Thank you kindly, Michelle. I do hop you’ll write about your memories as well. Another helping can be a good thing, when its wisdom and love. 🙂
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My treat! Beautifully said. Thank you! Those are special writes. 😊
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Really beautiful. I love the layers of the pudding and the family dynamics here.
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Thank you. We are still having those same layered conversations and same puddings. It’s tradition, after all.
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