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LITERARY NOOK
Picnic poems and kalsarikannit
When Ripe Watermelon
when ripe watermelon bursts its rind
and juicy red flesh can be seen
all the fruits of summer come to mind
and watermelon is the queen
the crowning glory of every picnic
just what every BBQ needs
thump for ripeness to get the right pick
have fun spitting out all the seeds
Snowcones!
I would build that cone in air
that slushy cone those mounds of ice
and all who slurped would taste it there
and all would shout, Snowcone! Shave ice!
its melting juicy colors rare
piled in shaved mounds so nice
so close your eyes and taste with joy
summer delights for girl and boy
dessert in sweet Polar Paradise
The Hot Pepper Sauce
(after W.C. Williams poem “The Red Wheelbarrow”)
so many depend upon
a hot pepper sauce
splashed without restraint
on some fried chicken
Finadene’ Giya Fiesta (pepper sauce for the Fiesta)
gayera agupa pupuenge (cockfight tomorrow night)
guaha bula finadene’ falak (lots of hot pepper sauce to go)
para talonan yan tinola (for the dead cock and chicken soup)
Biba San Jose’ yan Biba San Isidro (Fiestas held on Tinian)
This poem is translated from Chamorro. Tinian has great wild boonie peppers and a fiesta and cockfight to go along with it.
Kalsarikannit—a Sonnet On It
(A word from Finland, it means the feeling you get when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear)
so your big picnic was cancelled due to heavy duty rain
two months ago you and old friends began to plan it
more rain forecast there’s an alternative let me explain
use an old remedy from Finland called kalsarikannit
it’s a bit anti-social but no driving and safe no doubt
you have stocked up on beer and snacks are ready to go
so get drunk at home in your undies and don’t go out
everyone else is at the movies watching a new monster show
read some online memes, a book, or magazine, it can’t fail
do it for the cancelled picnic or party Saturday or Sunday
call the mainland and talk to family or an old island pal
try to carry kalsarikannit over to night football Monday
growing tired of the corrupt political climate on our planet
stay home safe on your couch and practice kalsarikannit
