lentils and rice and peppers and eggs

in the freezer
she made them
last time she could direct from her chair in the kitchen
frying pan
low heat
olive oil
onions
just until they are smooth
add the lentils
stir
add the rice
eccolo!

peppers and eggs
7 large green bell peppers
only if they are on sale
frying pan
low heat
olive oil
the peppers cut chunky
keep the lid on
they reduce

put them aside

crack the eggs into a bowl
5 eggs
"that's a lot!"
no, it's not
5 eggs
whisk
frying pan
olive oil
low heat
add the peppers
stir
tip the pan
so the edges take in more egg

get a plate

put the plate over the frying pan
flip the plate and pan in one swoop
catch the peppers and egg
now married
return them to the pan
for just a bit more time
until the edges are brown
the eggs firm
but not hard

get the plate again

put the plate over the frying pan
flip the plate and pan in one swoop
catch the peppers and egg
now married
forever

get a fork!

cut the dish in half
eat what you want now
put the rest in foil
bring to someone who needs
peppers and eggs

everyone needs
peppers and eggs

next time:
eggplant parmesan



11/19/12

like some message from beyond

two times,
once last week
and once today,
the television blinked on and
Let's Make a Deal appeared

the show lena and ginger watched everyday
and by extension me
for the last two months
and longer: in the den
she in her arm chair, gin on the couch, me in gene's old chair

what we shared together
we will never lose
what we have said goodbye to -
the rhythm of our days and nights
breakfast, meds, Let's make a deal, radio time, lunch,
Who wants to be a millionaire, supper,
The news, "nothing good" on tv, bed

And now, almost one week since the television was silenced
this 1960's game show, updated
is still keeping time
still filling an hour
of someone else's day
and seems to bless us with a smile, reminding...

what we shared
our relationships
daughter and mother
niece and aunt
we will never lose.


11/19/12

to the polls...with a little history:

from the writers' almanac....

Today is Election Day. Millions of people across the country will be going to the polls today to elect new legislators, judges, sheriffs, school board members, and of course, the president.The first federal election under the U.S. Constitution was held in 1788, and it had the lowest turnout in the history of American elections. Only 11 percent of eligible voters voted. To be eligible to vote at the time, you had to be a white male property owner. But different states had trouble defining what a property owner was.

In Pennsylvania, you just had to prove that you paid taxes. In New York, you had to prove that your estate was worth a certain amount of money. If your estate was greater than 20 pounds, you could vote for state assembly, but your estate had to be worth more than 100 pounds to vote for senator or governor. In Connecticut, you had to be a white male property owner "of a quiet and peaceable behavior and civil conversation."

In order to vote in that first election, voters had to travel many miles to the nearest polling place, which was often a tavern. There they met the candidates for their district's seat on the state assembly. In many precincts, there were no ballots. Voters announced their votes to the sheriff in loud, clear voices, and then stood by the candidate they had voted for, who usually offered them something to drink.

It wasn't until 1820 that American voters in every state were able to vote in the presidential election. Before that, many states simply let the state legislators choose presidential electors who cast votes for president. Even after voters began choosing presidential electors themselves, different states held Election Day on different dates. The first uniform Election Day took place on November 4, 1845.For the first 50 years of American elections, only 15 percent of the adult population was eligible to vote. Thomas Dorr was one of the first politicians to argue that poor people should be given voting rights. As a member of the Rhode Island legislature, Dorr argued that all white adult men should have the vote, regardless of their wealth. He incited a riot to protest the governor's election of 1842 and went to prison for treason, but most states began to let poor white men vote soon after. Women won the right to vote in 1920, and many African-Americans were prevented from voting throughout the South until the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

John Quincy Adams said: "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

Rosa Luxemburg said: "Without general elections, without unrestrained freedom of the press and assembly, without a free struggle of opinion, life dies out in every public institution."

Mark Twain said: "If there is any valuable difference between a monarchist and an American, it lies in the theory that the American can decide for himself what is patriotic and what isn't. I claim that difference. I am the only person in the 60 millions that is privileged to dictate my patriotism."

The day after yesterday

The day before yesterday, I asked her
if she would like a priest.
"What would he do? she asked.
Pray with you. "Oh."
And, I thought, well, he's not here, we are so,
I began to speak the words we both had spoken since childhood,
they tumbled out of our two mouths
as if we still spoke them every day:

"Hail Mary, full of grace,
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen."

The day before yesterday
she kept calling, "ma, ma."
and she asked, "where is my mother?"
I think she is waiting for you...

The day before that
she asked, "what shall I do?"
You don't have to do anything;
You have done so much
"I am so tired."
I know. You can rest now.
"But what can I do?"
You can tell people you love them and let them tell you they love you.
"Ok. I love you."
I love you too.

The day before yesterday she said:
"I see Joey, and Johnny, and ma and dad..."
"Where is Grace? Grace!"
She will be here soon.

She will be here soon.

Yesterday,
as soon as Grace appeared,
sat on the bed,
held her hand, and
whispered in her ear, "I am here,"
she was gone.

I love you.
I love you.
Always.

Joey, Lena, Grace, Sonny (about 1966)

4:30 a.m.

"Teacher,

are you there?"

Yes. Here I am.

"Teacher,

I am cold,

just my legs."

Here's a blanket.

Are you warm now?

"Yes.

Teacher? Am I ok?"

Yes. Yes, you are.

Shall we sleep?

"Yes. Yes."