Chicory and Lace
A smile broke over your face.
You blushed as your eyes twinkled
when you noticed me watching
you raise the cup to your lips
and gently blow across the dark
before sipping.
It was a chicory blend, wasn’t it?
Served early in the morning
at the sidewalk café
in that town along the Sierra foothills?
We searched for the ghosts of 49ers
yet couldn’t exonerate the spirits of our past.
We lingered that morning, I mesmerized by you,
sitting slightly sideways in that wrought iron chair,
a lacy-white sundress with blue flowers
that stood out against your tanned shoulders and arms,
and those long skinny legs, crossed at the knees,
a flip-flop dangling from your rocking foot
I don’t remember of what we talked,
nor now, even what year it was.
There have been so many since.
But I remember the chicory coffee and the lace of your dress
and seeing chicory grow wild along the roadside,
amongst the Queen Anne Lace, I smile.
---
This is my third annual Queen Anne ’s lace post! Last year I posted a photo of a red barn in a field of lace… In 2007, I also posted a poem. I’ve been meaning to photograph the great strands of blue and white along our highways, but hadn’t got around to it. Today’s hard rain has taken its toil on the chicory, so the photographs aren’t as nice as they could have been.
Sorry that I'm having a hard time keeping up with everyone's blog... Next week, I'm off again and will have limited computer access for a week (but I'll be enjoying the beach!) After that, I hope to catch back up with everyone... Have a great weekend.
A smile broke over your face.
You blushed as your eyes twinkled
when you noticed me watching
you raise the cup to your lips
and gently blow across the dark
before sipping.
It was a chicory blend, wasn’t it?
Served early in the morning
at the sidewalk café
in that town along the Sierra foothills?
We searched for the ghosts of 49ers
yet couldn’t exonerate the spirits of our past.
We lingered that morning, I mesmerized by you,
sitting slightly sideways in that wrought iron chair,
a lacy-white sundress with blue flowers
that stood out against your tanned shoulders and arms,
and those long skinny legs, crossed at the knees,
a flip-flop dangling from your rocking foot
I don’t remember of what we talked,
nor now, even what year it was.
There have been so many since.
But I remember the chicory coffee and the lace of your dress
and seeing chicory grow wild along the roadside,
amongst the Queen Anne Lace, I smile.
---
This is my third annual Queen Anne ’s lace post! Last year I posted a photo of a red barn in a field of lace… In 2007, I also posted a poem. I’ve been meaning to photograph the great strands of blue and white along our highways, but hadn’t got around to it. Today’s hard rain has taken its toil on the chicory, so the photographs aren’t as nice as they could have been.
Sorry that I'm having a hard time keeping up with everyone's blog... Next week, I'm off again and will have limited computer access for a week (but I'll be enjoying the beach!) After that, I hope to catch back up with everyone... Have a great weekend.
I don't know that I've ever seen chickory - but I love the cobalt blue - and of course I am a big fan of Queen Anne's Lace. It started out beautiful here this summer, but now it was been burned brown by the sun.
ReplyDeleteThe Queen Anne's lace is beautiful
ReplyDeleteWe're having perfect beach weather. A bit hot but it's the dog days....Wrightsville is always cooler then here
Beautiful pics and you make me want to buy a lacy-white sundress with blue flowers.
ReplyDeleteCan you believe I haven't been to the beach yet this summer?? It's either been rainy or busy.
Chickory is a mainstay in coffee down this way. I like it's bite.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't know chicory if I bumped into it, but that's beautiful Queen Anne's Lace.
ReplyDeleteHiya sage, NetChick sent me!
A new experience for me, Sage! Well written and carries the feeling well! :)
ReplyDeleteVery colourful. The words were so descriptive.
ReplyDeleteNetChick sent me here.
memory is a fine thing and you have fine way of describing yours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. I should confess that the poem is a blend of a two experiences--that occured five years apart--one in the South and the other in California... I don't think I've ever had chicory coffee in California...
ReplyDeleteI kept seeing the chicory and Queen Anne's lace along the road and started playing with the images from my past.
I used to pick Queen Anne's Lace with my Grandma as a little girl. It'll forever remind me of her, so thanks for that tonight.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Regarding your comment on my blog the other day: now that I'm private, it doesn't show updates in Reader or anything. I've tried to figure out if there is some way around it, but have yet to :( Sorry for the inconvenience.
That was really nice. It's blooming here too.
ReplyDeleteBoth flowers are everywhere here out east as well ... beautiful photo! Our goldenrod is just starting to bloom.
ReplyDeleteChicory coffee? Need to google that when I have the time. Nice poem though.
ReplyDeleteLove the Queen Anne’s lace time of year.
ReplyDeleteHi Sage! A really nice`poem, very colourful and vivid, very sensual indeed!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the beach!
Those darn twinkling eyes. Always so irresistible. How do they make them do that?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the beach. Wish you were here, and I was there.