It’s hard to believe it, but this is officially my last “backlog” of exercises from Poets & Writers’ weekly prompts, The Time Is Now.  Assuming I can also write the prompt from this week over the weekend, I am officially (hallelujah!) caught up.  Now….staying caught up will be the next challenge.  Here’s hoping 😉  From March 28, here’s the last back dated prompt:

In his book Dear Darkness (Knopf, 2008), poet Kevin Young has a series of odes to particular foods that meditate on memories of the speaker’s father and other family members, such as “Ode to Okra.” Using Young’s poem as inspiration, write an ode to one of your favorite foods that personifies and addresses the dish as “you.” Explore the senses—flavors, smells, sounds, textures, colors—that are stirred from these memories of meals.

I’ve been on a run trying to get caught up with these prompts, and I’ll be honest, I’m feeling a bit creatively burned out 🙂  That shows itself a bit in this draft, but that doesn’t make it a throw away.  I think this could be heavily reworked to become more substantial and meaningful.  For now though, this is where I’m leaving it.  Here’s the first and only draft:

THE SINGLE GIRL’S GROCERY LIST

At the top: wine.  a heavy-handed Cabernet to keep warm

on cold nights, an airy Sauv Blanc when you feel like dancing.

Next: guacamole.  Only in Texas, where avocado runs ripe year

’round, can one have a drawer filled with perpetual tomato & jalapeno.

Of course, the necessities: tortilla chips, chocolate, cheesefries&ranch,

Diet Coke, Earl Grey tea, half&half, tampons and toilet paper.

Add kale and grapefruit to replenish the wilty, moldy ones at home,

and try to get in line behind the man with frozen pizzas & a six pack.