no more nature poems?

~ jama
“Grandma’s Kitchen” by John Sloane.
NO MORE NATURE POEMS
by Alice N. Persons

Okay, plenty of us like to look at birds.
Flowers are swell, sunsets,
trees, the stars -- all dandy.
But let's face it --
it's all been said, described,
covered
by thousands of writers.
What could we possibly say
that would improve
on the ancient Chinese poets, anyway?
I concede that a few poets since Li Po
have hit one out of the park,
but how many of us are Hopkins or Oliver?

I'm a city woman.
Give me poems with kitchen tables,
toast crumbs,
books and magazines,
Grandmother's plates,
postcards from Florida,
baby pictures,
Scrabble tiles,
the smell of Sunday roast,
the feel of the seats in Dad's old car,
the Thanksgiving menu that never changed

what it was like to leave,
how it feels to go back;
what you left,
what you carry with you --
all the messy, vivid indoor life
of the heart.

~ from Thank Your Lucky Stars (Moon Pie Press, 2011).
“Grandma’s Kitchen” by Carol Salas.

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“Kitchen” by Liza Lou (1999).

Conversational and plain-spoken as always, Persons has a knack for fresh points of view that give us pause but ultimately ring true.

I totally agree with her sentiment here. Also a big Hopkins and Oliver fan, I’m surrounded by tall trees, revel in wildlife sightings, marvel at the changing seasons. Nature is welcome respite and solace, an agent of healing, a space for meditation, a source of fresh inspiration.

Gwen van Knippenberg

And yet . . . mine has largely been an “indoor life of the heart.” Most of my time has been spent in houses, classrooms, bookstores, libraries, offices, museums, art galleries, theaters, stores and restaurants. I’m steeped in life’s everyday minutiae and have actively sought the treasures found in all kinds of man-, rather than nature-made constructs.

I simply enjoy the stories that come with tangible “things,” whether they are attached to personal memories or allow me to vicariously experience imagined lives.

Vintage Kitchen (artist unknown).

When Persons speaks of kitchen tables, toast crumbs, Grandmother’s plates, the smell of Sunday roast — I am reminded of just how much I particularly love kitchen interiors. Where does cooking, baking and eating take place? What kinds of equipment and utensils are used in food preparation? What culinary adventures take place where people naturally gather?

19th Century Lithograph (artist unknown).

Vintage kitchens fascinate me the most. Stone floors, painted wainscoting, sturdy pine worktables, gleaming copper pots, yellow stoneware mixing bowls, shelves overflowing with crockery, woodburning stoves (hello, Mrs Patmore!). Everyone has to eat, and my favorite history lessons revolve around food.

“An Edwardian Kitchen” by Pat Nicolle (1975).

Still, I won’t be saying “no more nature poems” any time soon. I vote for a sensible compromise: nature in the kitchen (or a kitchen in nature?). Thanks to Polish surrealist painter Jacek Yerka, I can have both. 🙂

“Grandma’s Kitchen” by Jacek Yerka.
“Confusion in the Kitchen” by Jacek Yerka.
“Grandma’s Kitchen” by Jacek Yurka.

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🎉 BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNERS 🎈

Thanks to those who read and commented on my November interviews with Yangsook Choi and Beth Charles.

We are pleased to announce that the lucky person who’s won a copy of SLIPPERY, SPICY, TINGLY: A Kimchi Mystery is Sylvia Vardell!

and the lucky person who’s won a copy of APPLE PIE TIRED is Cathy Ballou Mealey!!

🧄 🍏 Congratulations, Sylvia and Cathy!! 🍎 🥒

We know you’ll enjoy the books!!

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Lovely and talented Linda Mitchell is hosting the Roundup at A Word Edgewise. Sashay on over to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being shared around the blogosphere this week. Enjoy your weekend. Happy Holidays!

*Copyright © 2024 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

29 thoughts on “no more nature poems?”

  1. Oh I love Persons’ poem and all the fantastic kitchens! Thanks for the nostalgic journey this morning, Jama. I was just thinking about the fact that most of my poems are about nature, too. Maybe I’ll try exploring my “indoor life of the heart” and see where it takes me.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Such nostalgic kitchens… mine is French Country with a modern flair! I especially love the vintage kitchens, too, Jama Darling. Love watching ASMR vintage cooking videos – you feel as if you’re sitting in the kitchen while watching an 18th century lady colonist cooking over a hearth oven. Cozy!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. The poem and your wonderful pictures certainly brought back memories of my own grandmothers’ kitchens, Jama, and of my mother-in-law’s, too. And, I love Yerka’s art, too. My paternal grandmother cooked on both a wood stove and an electric one when I grew up. A special memory is when they had baby lambs in a box behind the wood stove, needed some extra care! (They raised sheep.) Thanks for every bit and have a lovely weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Love hearing about those baby lambs keeping warm. I don’t remember seeing any wood stoves in our family — both of my grandmothers cooked on electrics. It was rare to even see a fireplace in anyone’s home. My aunt did have one (she liked the look of a fireplace) but she never used it.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. “. . . the messy, vivid indoor life of the heart,” wow!

    I’ve always been a nature girl myself but this post draws me back

    to my grandmother’s kitchen. She had a tiny muffin tin for me

    to make doll-sized treats. Thank you for this feast for the

    soul, Jama, and happy holidays to all!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Jama, vintage, nostalgia,kitchens all touch my heart. The poem you shared is just what I like. The images are great. I shall carry these with me. I am sorry that I missed reading your post last week.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad you liked the poem, Carol. I think the holidays are a nice time for nostalgia and happy memories. I imagine many people will spend a lot of time in their kitchens baking treats too!

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      1. I did – TY! And I hit ‘reply’ so please let me know if my response went astray and I will re-send the info! ❤

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  8. I am definitely in favour of nature poems. And I’m not a big lover of me-in-the-kitchen. And being as I am surrounded by nature here – I’m pretty sure I’ll be breaking Persons’ rule and writing about nature.🤭

    Liked by 1 person

  10. My life has always revolved around the kitchen table. I am Italian American, as you know, and we love hanging out around a table laden with food. In fact, my dad couldn’t get over that when you visit a “merican “, as all non Italians were referred to, you sat in the living room! Also, when I redid my kitchen, I immediately framed all of the photos I had from my mom of family around the table!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Such a nice idea to have framed family photos in the kitchen! It’s definitely the best gathering place. Many important discussions have taken place and decisions made at kitchen tables. Seems logical that good food should be at hand, right? 🙂

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  11. I love this post and your reflections on “the indoor life of the heart.” I write a lot of poetry inspired by nature but the crumbs on the table beckon as well. You have me thinking about kitchens and kitchen tables, which reminded me of Kate Wolf’s wonderful song, “Trumpet Vine”. Do you know it? Here’s one verse:
    “Now, it seems the truest words I ever heard from you
    Were said at kitchen tables we have known
    ‘Cause somehow in that warm room with coffee on the stove
    Our hearts were really most at home”
    Side note:At the moment we’re battling some mice in our kitchen, so I suppose I have both nature and indoor life coexisting–not peacefully though!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. When we have mice, they’re usually in the attic. At least the foxes help keep the mouse population under control to some extent . . .

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  13. Pingback: 2024 Poetry Friday Archive | Jama's Alphabet Soup

  14. Hi , Jama! It’s Jan/bookseedstudio & a bit late, for this post, as often the case for me.

    BUT, your things post has sent me around the very tops of our bookcases, where treasure from our family’s past are curated = attracting dust. I’ve found my Dad’s old schoolhouse brass bell, a barn kerosene lantern, the wood inside thingie of my grandparent’s butter churn [said churn too big for the top of a bookcase; it’s elsewhere, still sturdy, on the floor] & so much more…poem material, an idea… for who knows when…So, appreciations, belatedly, for this lovely post.

    And to thank you some more, sharing below a lovely link about a new exhibit of typing machines, opened by the typewriter tycoon Tom Hanks, has arrived by digital post. Sharing in the hopes you like it.Typewriters are some of my favorite things.

    https://www.thechurchsagharbor.org/some-of-toms-typewriters-from-the-collection-of-tom-hanks?et_rid=518123200&s_campaign=fastforward:newsletter

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    1. Thanks for the link to Tom’s typewriters! I knew he was a collector and it was great seeing some of the items. I’ve always been fascinated by typewriters and consider typing to be my most useful skill. There was a classic black Royal typewriter at my grandmother’s house that we used to play with, and I also loved the IBM Selectrics that were once so popular back in the day. Glad you took the time to examine those treasures on top of the bookcases. Hopefully they’ll inspire a poem or two from you!

      Liked by 1 person

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