They never had to lie before
not to each other, not out loud
One would pull the spoons from the kitchen drawer
set them to the right of the deep ceramic bowls
the other would stir the soup - tomato or potato
or a bit of stew, then ladle it into the bowls as
the feet of the chairs scraped the old wooden floor
Bad news always comes uninvited
like a chill through the screen door
peering in, knowing you're home
hovering over your supper even as you
say Grace and Amen
So on the evening their farm foreclosed
between aimless spoonfuls of potato soup
and bites of unbuttered bread
they held back conversation and stared
at the nothingness in the center of the table
unable to promise that life will get better
fearing to speak the truth
refusing to tell a lie
***
Comments
Reminiscent
Almost like the dust bowl. This trend continues today and I love the “no farms, no food” bumper stickers. The bread with no butter thing hits. No cows, no butter.
Tim
Hello, Tim,
I actually wrote a piece called The Dust Bowl back in October 2020 that was specifically about that time. This piece sadly reflects current conditions, which are becoming eerily similar. Thank you for reading!
L
yes Lav how so very true r u
Bad news always comes uninvited
like a chill through the screen door......
tc
Hi, Lovedly!
Many thanks for reading, as always!
Lav
Dearest Lavender
This is bitter sweet. It's all about v. bad conditions that hit so many places around the world. The lucky should feel with the less lucky ones to overcome the difficult times
An exceptional piece. We need to tell about the bad times as well as the good ones, mustn't we?
These lines are really outstanding:
"at the nothingness in the center of the table
unable to promise that life will get better
fearing to speak the truth
refusing to tell a lie"
Thank you for sharing
Hello, Rula,
So good to see you visit! Yes, having empathy and understanding for others is vital during the hard times.
Thank you for commenting!
L