A Food Poem, Trash Truck, & Raised by...
by Jennifer L. Woods
written for the Invitational ELL Summer Institute
A Food Poem
Let’s say Grace…
Potatoes rough, potatoes gruff,
Thank Heaven we’ve got potatoes enough
…my Dad’s sense of humor
But really, that’s probably how it was in his house
Being 1 of 7 children and all
Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm
This is so good it makes my liver quiver
…another one of my Dad’s famous dinner moments
And it’s catchy, too, spreads like wildfire across the table!
But seriously…
Family gatherings for any occasion
Everyone contributes…
Mom’s potato salad
Dad’s prep work
Jason’s grilling
Lauren’s salad with feta and chick peas
Jennifer’s pasta salad and tapenade (that’s me)
Aunt Ruth’s macaroni salad and cranberry sauce
Uncle Bill’s radishes
Cousin Susan’s Aunt Mary cake
Cousin Sal’s Italian cuisine
Cousin Heather’s 7-layer dip and stuffed mushrooms
Aunt Liz’s Waldorf salad
Uncle Woody’s appetite
Aunt Gloria’s rice and beans with chorizo
Uncle Tom’s supply of beverages
Cousin Katherine - Rita’s water ice
And really SO much more…
Soul food
Food for the soul
Home cookin’
There’s nothin’ like a home-cooked meal
All been said and all true
What makes it different for each of us
Is what we bring to the table
Trash Truck
The noise
Coming down the street
Stop and go
Stop and go
The screeching
The smell
Taking away
The remains
Raised by…
I was raised by
Dinners around the table
Sharing your day
“Do I have to eat this?”
“Yes you do,
If you want dessert,”
Kind of family
How was your day?
How was school?
What did you learn?
“I’m sick of walking to school.”
“When I was your age, I had to
Walk a mile in waist-high snow
Just to get to the bus stop,”
Kind of family
“Don’t MAKE me get that
Wooden spoon,” Mom says.
“Don’t MAKE me get that belt –
JUST KIDDING!” says Dad
Kind of family
Vocation not an option
College-bound for sure
Dad working different shifts
Mom goes back to school
A college education
For me and my bro
Kind of family
Grown-Up now
But still my parents’ kid
Love my family
And everything they did
Kind of family
Jennifer Lyn Woods had been teaching fifth grade in Reading, Pennsylvania, before becoming an ESOL teacher with the School District of Philadelphia. This will be her third year as an itinerant ESOL teacher. Jennifer attended the 2012 Invitational ELL Summer Institute sponsored by the Philadelphia Writing Project.