WHISPER'S SPECIAL ACTIVITY--CONNECTING WITH FOODS--OUR POEMS

Treat your taste buds to an adventure. Read this month's activity. Poets from all over the world share their love of food: a traditional dish, a personal favorite or family favorite. We celebrate love and memorable occasions in our lives with the enjoyment of food. Thank you to all those poets who generously shared their taste sensations and heartfelt memories with us. As editor, I was fortunate to savor these memories with you, because food can bring people and words together in surprising ways.

Activity Editor
Anne Curran

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roast Pork Dinner

We’re finally warm after the snow.

By Kelley White
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mexican Enchiladas

Visiting Mama and her homecoming special: OOH enchiLA-LAdas!

By Charlene McCutcheon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Roast

dad sharpens the carving knife

By Anne Curran
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bacon and Sausage Pizza

three nephews and an empty box

By ayaz daryl nielsen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stuffed Rump Steak

Dripping and appetizing;
Cholesterol hides behind the taste.

By Paul Callus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beloved Sitshwala

mouth-watering stiff dumpling from maize
gracing today`s hot pot

By Ndaba Sibanda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faschiertes (German for Hamburger)

Hamburger, luscious,
dripping ketchup and mayo,
gherkin, and fries - gone !

By Alan McAlpine Douglas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pure Bliss

Electrically charged,
high vibration,
oxygenated,
freshly squeezed
orange juice
sunshine -

By Scott Thomas Outlar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teichelmauke

A dish only for swimmers in Upper Lusatia

By Gert. W. Knop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Country Sausage

the tentative first bite testing the cayenne's heat 

By Elizabeth Howard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corn Bread

grandma saves crumbles for the birds.

By Rosa Clement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Food Sown In Culture 

If spices seldom miss your tongue,
you're in India.

By Vasanthi S. Pillai
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sweet Tea

grandma pours from an endless pot, our glasses full

By Barbara Tate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Lancashire Hot Pot

Highly recommended by the visitors guide

By Beth Winchcombe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chili

So hot 'twas made by Satan himself!

By Robert L. Hinshaw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gathered Together

fried chicken, mashed potatoes
and Mom's famous stuffing...
truly blessed!
 
By Karen O’Leary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soylent Green

Mmmmm… Tasty.

By Robert P. Hansen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Halwa 

Sugar, raisins, nuts and ghee
Children relish it for free.

By Ranu Uniyal 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fish and Chips

Wrapped in newspaper

By Jack Horne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A PC Cabbage

Sauerkraut today.  Victory Cabbage in 1917.

By Ron Larson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roast Pork

Looking forward to the scratchings

By Beth Winchcombe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Night Popcorn

Watching Bonanza with bowl after bowl after buttery bowl.

By Andrea Dietrich
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wake up

to that first hot cup of java.

By Joan McNerney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Dessert

bananas and wafers added to the pudding

By Maurice J. Reynolds
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dumplings (Another German/Austrian favourite)

Light as air,
bread rolls soaked,
boiled, consumed with pork.

By Alan McAlpine Douglas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spaghetti

Slurping up delicious noodles.

By David Fox
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
my favorite uncle

madeira cake in the tin 

By Anne Curran
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fried Okra

Mother lifts browned slices from the cast-iron skillet

By Elizabeth Howard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bean Soup

mother blows on mine to cool it.

By Rosa Clement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hot Cross Buns

Who remembers Granny White’s recipe?

By Kelley White
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cherry Pie

ice creme already in my dish

By ayaz daryl nielsen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mopani Worms

dried and salted
a delicacy  that saw an eater
swallow up his tongue!

By Ndaba Sibanda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okra

no longer in season, I go to the freezer

By Barbara Tate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aloo Puri 

Hot, spicy, puff and fry
Sunday mornings never dry. 

By Ranu Uniyal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bakewell Tart

She's my favourite Derbyshire delight

By Beth Winchcombe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frankfurt Green Sauce

Nice with potatoes if you are not a Martian

By Gert W. Knop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Pot Roast

Mom's tenderest dish I always topped with ketchup!

By Andrea Dietrich
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aromas 

from home made, banana bread fill my kitchen.

By Joan McNerney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What a joy to read these delightful poems!  So many of our memories are connected with food.  Special thanks to Anne for coming up with this activity and all her hard work as editor for this column.  Thank you, also, to all the talented contributors who shared their favorite foods and memories.  

Karen O'Leary
Whispers' Editor