generations absent,
younger ones, elders now,
hold hands round the table.
Tofurky on Wedgewood platter,
agave sweetened yams.
Fresh green beans afloat
in organic mushroom soup.
Real-orange jelloed mold
quivers on bed of kale.
Voices sing familiar grace.
Misty eyes . . .
remembering.
De hosts Quadrille Monday at dVerse, the virtual pub for poets. We are to use the word “quiver” or a form of the word, in the body of a quadrille. Quadrille: a poem of exactly 44 words, sans title. I went light with this one – a bit of humor needed in these days of 24/7 news!
lillian the home poet 
Ooooo, Lill – this hits so close to home! Misty eyes indeed! Organic menu also brings misty eyes…
Sent from my iPhone
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I tried to add a bit of humor and also noting the nostalgia of missing the generations gone while singing the traditional table grace. New (tofurkey, kale) with the old (sung grace). PS: excited to see you at Thanksgiving! Get ready for a big hug 🙂
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Love it, Lil! Although for me, the mushroom soup and yams still sound divine. I will go ahead and skip the tofurky, though. 😉
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In my mind there’s a mixture here of the humorous (the “modern” dinner with tofurkey and kaleK) and the traditional, missing the past generations while holding hands and singing the same table grace that has been sung for years and years.
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I think we need to be a bit more innovative with vegans than this… it does make me lose a bit of appetite and I can understand the misty eyes.
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Hah! Yep — way too modern food but misty eyes while singing the old table grace, missing those long past.
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I love the way the delicious food is sandwiched between family and familiar grace, Lill. Makes me feel warm – and misty-eyed.
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Glad you enjoyed, Kim.
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Whatever is served the family give thanks _ love your quivering jelly
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I love Thanksgiving as it is a holiday without presents and one where families gather, just joyful to be together again.
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I love that the mushroom soup is organic.
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Smiling I am. 🙂
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Orange jello quivering on a bed of kale presents such a vivid image. The gathering, holding hands, makes a lovely image as well.
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Gathering in a circle round the table to sing grace is an old Hallberg tradition….not so much the tofurkey or kale! 🙂
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🙂
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Yo9u are bang on with topical morphing of new with traditional. Family members absent do making gatherings bitter sweet for sure.
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Ah yes…..and we do now find ourselves the elders! Also seems a lot more beer is imbibed than wine…younger ones outnumber the elders! 🙂
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Love Thanksgiving, but this menu has my tummy quivering 😁
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Yup….I tried to look humorously into the future with all the health fads of the younger generation (tofurkey, kale, changing the traditional green bean/mushroom soup baked with canned onion rings on top — did you ever have that?- casserole….and the old sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top changed into yams with agave) —- but still do think, even when we have passed, that those young folks will stand round the table and sing our traditional table grace, missing those who have passed on.
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I think you’re right!
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Those Thanksgiving dinners can be times of sorrow remembering those no longer there.
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We always miss the elders…..and now we are the elders!
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The holidays are difficult remembering those who no longer sit at the table. I am not a fan of mushroom soup so I would have to pass on that 🙂
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Hah….we still have the traditional turkey, sweet potatoe with marshmallow on top; the jello salad on lettuce; and the casserole made with canned green beans, Campbells mushroom soup, and canned french fried onions on top. Those are the comfort foods. But the younger folks are starting to bring in the healtheir foods….and good for them. Although I do hope to never see a tofurkey (tofu!).
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Sounds delicious. We just had our Thanksgiving and I am very thankful to share these happy memories with my children.
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We mostly just love the getting together we everyone. For us, since we live in Boston and almost the entire family is in the Chicago area, it is our once-a-year time to see everyone. A truly joyful time.
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We don’t do Thanksgiving, we have husband’s birthday instead. It will be vegan but no invented stuff. I imagine tofurkey is tofu?
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We have not yet succombed to the health fads mentioned here…..still have the traditional turkey, sweet potatoes with melted marshmallow on top etc…..but I can imagine a day when we are gone when younger will forgo our traditional (and somewhat unhealthy) dishes and go with the kale, the tofurkey (yes, tofu) etc! BUT, my guess is they will still gather round the table with hands held, somewhat nostalgic for all the Thanksgivings past with elders no longer there, and still sing our traditional table grace.
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Well, I wouldn’t call veganism a health fad. It’s more of an ethical position. I hope future generations will be more careful than we have been about what they eat and what is sustainable.
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As a pescetarian, who mostly follows a vegetarian/vegan diet (we eat fish occasionally, but we’re not necessarily proud of that), I actually find most of your dinner quite palatable. Not too sure about the jello on the kale, which somehow reminds me of the “Do You Like Broccoli Ice Cream” nursery song. Lol
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You made me smile! This is the one holiday meal that I throw out the healthy attitude and put gravy on my turkey, gobble (no pun intended) up the sweet potatioes with marshmallow melted on top, and eath our age-old Campbell mushroom soup/green bean/canned french fried onion rings on top casserole….and a BIG piece of pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream on top! 🙂
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When you stated “no pun intended” (or was it “don’t think of a turkey”?) I was somehow picturing a vegan’s backyard on Thanksgiving. Lol
Well, the only acceptable healthy “attitude” on Thanksgiving is to be guiltless and thankful, isn’t it? 😉
p.s. I miss the pumpkin pies. Never had one here in Asia!
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Oh, yes! I could see this SO clearly:
“Real-orange jelloed mold
quivers on bed of kale.”
Nothing quivers like jello!
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I was always so thankful, as a child, that jello was considered (during Holidays) our salad as pieces of fruit were inside… sometimes marshmellows 🙂 Lovely poem.
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thanks for serving up such a tasty treat, and fond memories
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Love it 🙂
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