I was raised by
rigatoni eating
Meat cooking
Red rice so good you want to eat
The whole pot at once
“Go ahead and help yourself”
Kind of women.
Some frizzy haired
Braid and perm styling
“Baby, sit down
And let me do your hair”
Sorta Women.
Some short legged
Big hip, pale milk
Kitchen singing
Stained shirt wearing
House slippers slipping
Charming chicas
“I know I cook good”
Type of Women.
Some coffee drinking
Slack wearing
Working nine to five
My God
this day never ends
“Better not disturb me”
Type of Sisters.
Some music listening
Computer typing
Shouting in the halls
Hey, girl, hey
Homestuck reading
“C’mon girl live a little”
Kind of Sisters.
Some dirty-look giving,
Hands on hips
“Don’t you talk
to me in that tone
of voice young lady”
Sorta women.
Some still learning
Story writing
Word manipulating
“Leave me alone”
School going
Shut up, I’m thinking
Type of Queens.
I was raised by women.
My response to “I Was Raised by Women” by Kelly Norman Ellis
-J
2 comments:
"Some short legged
Big hip, pale milk
Kitchen singing
Stained shirt wearing
House slippers slipping
Charming chicas
“I know I cook good”
Type of Women."
"Some dirty-look giving,
Hands on hips
“Don’t you talk
to me in that tone
of voice young lady”
Sorta women."
Those are two of my favorite stanzas! :) If I read this I would not necessarily assume that you were raised in Appalachia. Did you intend for it to be that way? I think Kelly Norman Ellis' was the same way! What could you add to explicity represent your ties to Appalachia?
--S
To S:
When I was writing this, I wasn't really thinking about Appalachia. I was thinking about all the women in my life, and this poem is more of a reflection of them. And since most of the women in my family still have very thick Italian blood, the poem shows that.
I could add a stanza focused on my paternal grandmother who is WV born-and-raised. She is what some might consider "classically" Appalachian.
Thank you for the praise. I'm glad you enjoyed. it.
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