Thursday, March 16, 2017

DMC: "Ode to My Mother's Popcorn Pan" by Doraine Bennett




ODE TO MY MOTHER'S POPCORN PAN

As you warm to the flame,
she holds your tented lid against your heavy frame
and scrapes your weight back and forth
until tender, sweet corn bursts inside.
The scent of butter calls us to the kitchen.
Do you remember the salty pleasure

of popcorn on Saturday night?

© 2017 Doraine Bennett. All rights reserved.


Helen Frost has challenged us to write an ode poem this month, following these instructions:  
Choose an object (a seashell, a hairbrush, a bird nest, a rolling pin). It should not be anything symbolic (such as a doll, a wedding ring, or a flag). Write five lines about the object, using a different sense in each line (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). Then ask the object a question, listen for its answer, and write the question, the answer, or both.
Click HERE to read her sample poem, "Ode to a River."

Post your poem on our March 2017 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, March 31st, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her latest novel-in-poems from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux/Macmillan:




9 comments:

  1. Love it, Dori! So tactile -- you really cover your bases.

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  2. I do remember, Dori! Growing up, my mother was also a popcorn aficionado. Thank you for bringing back such wonderful memories— it's like you wrapped your poem in a hug.

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  3. Another winner! And now I want some popcorn!

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  4. I remember our popcorn pan! Growing up, popcorn always involved good memories. Thank you for bringing those right back!

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  5. This makes me want to pull down the popcorn jar now. We had such fun with these all-in-one contraptions with our little gal (now in college.) A warm poem memory for a chilly day. Appreciations! Doriane.

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  6. I love it, Doraine! Really brought on the nostalgia. I currently have a pot in the kitchen that is stained with oil and burnt-on popcorn. Can't get it clean, but whenever I see it, I can hear my kids saying, with their Italian accents, "Is it popcorn night?" <3

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  7. Doraine, you certainly made me reminisce about popcorn popping. This is a wonderful poem that stirs the senses.

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  8. I remember. Great poem. I want to sit down for a movie now.

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