Poetry - Pear Preserves -David Hightower
free verse - Americana - Appalachian -food - farm - family
PEAR PRESERVES
The last quart of pear preserves
sits in the summer window.
My mother has captured in a quart jar
that amber afternoon we traveled
through fields to the abandoned farmhouse.
The pear trees
like an old couple unused to visitors
bowed to offer an anxious hospitality.
We left with a treasure of fruit
so yellow they sweetened the sun;
yet it’s unlikely we’ll ever return.
New plows groom the land
of the friend who guided us there.
They found him in his old pickup
parked on a hill above his crops
as if viewing one last time the parallel years.
My wife and I, the night before,
had journeyed the long distance
to the beach on Tybee Island.
Even before we’d awakened
the phone rang its message of mourning.
While my wife checked out,
I sipped coffee on the motel steps
and watched the furrows of endless waves.
The jar of preserves in my mother’s kitchen
holds too that lapping of the ocean.
Thin pear slices tremble in sunlight
like the wings of the birds
I watched that morning
bearing a mountain soul to sea.
Positively delicious, David--the whole of it. And I just spent ten hours yesterday canning up a couple of boxes full. As Cryssa mentioned below, we've a great aunt who had an orchard. Mom and Dad would loan us out to Aunt Melva's two weeks for every summer. Her kitchen always smelled of sweet fruit--cherries--berries--apricots--peaches--plums--nectarines and pears. I catch a bit of the smell from yesterday still. Gorgeous poem that brings those memories fore-front.
By the way, you may want to relable this poem into the "food" caegory, as there are only a few poems in AD's archives under that category, and this one would show them all up grand! (grandly?) :0)
there is a vivid sense of heritage and generational blending in this poem David -- the analogy of the richly ripened fruit yielding its sweetness, is powerful and telling -- ripe fruit picked and the essence tenderly preserved in loving style -- I find much to enjoy and relate in this work -- much love and peace -- JMW
All aspects of this poem are so sensitively conceived and written, man and nature, and you capture both with an acute eye for detail and essence. Love the way you conjoin them, weave them, too. Wonderful lingering feel to this poem that speaks of such lucidity, richness and warmth. Most original tribute poem. TY Kate xx
Touching. Memorable imagery of the island and the Georgia coast. My wife and I were engaged at Tybee. This poem made me remember the taste of summer's juiciest pears picked from my Paw Paw's planted tree. The fruit did tremble at the touch, like it was thrilled to be eaten! Very nicely done, David.
Nothing is quite the same as those childhood memories of picking fruit in orchards. My great-aunt and uncle had an orchard where we would travel each year to gather the fruits of the seasons. I loved your description of the pear trees and also your line about the treasure of fruit being so yellow they sweetened the sun...
Superb!
Cryssa
First of all, David, my admiration of your skill in creating
a powerful poem that haunts boyhood memories of rural Virginia.
I suppose there may be an abandoned farmhouse in the experience
of many of your readers. Thank you for this. -gene.
David,
This is rich evocation with a deep truth woven into every line and idea, the motif of fruit, preserved fruit, so apt and powerful, totally appropriate. Excellent!
John
Dear David as usual, I enjoy reading your poem. This one in particular as it is a master piece. It reminds me my visits at my grandma's and her jars of preserves which I used to sample. Blessing Emile
So often when I read your work, I'm astounded not only by beautiful imagery and the metaphors...but the reverence.I wanted to say that your first verse was my favorite...but it's so difficult to choose. David, this is stunning.
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Beautiful until the very last line.
Axilea
By the way, you may want to relable this poem into the "food" caegory, as there are only a few poems in AD's archives under that category, and this one would show them all up grand! (grandly?) :0)
Aberjhani
holds too that lapping of the ocean
Fine imagery and symbolism. Your verses reach my soul, David. Thank you for sharing this gift. Love and peace to you,
Regis
Superb!
Cryssa
a powerful poem that haunts boyhood memories of rural Virginia.
I suppose there may be an abandoned farmhouse in the experience
of many of your readers. Thank you for this. -gene.
This is rich evocation with a deep truth woven into every line and idea, the motif of fruit, preserved fruit, so apt and powerful, totally appropriate. Excellent!
John
Cheers,
Dan
Georg