Wednesday, March 26, 2008

All To Do With Temperature

I’m proud of my southern heritage:
“y’all” gliding from ear to ear
like a lazy-winged heron
piggybacked on a warm Georgia breeze;
wobbly-legged, centuries old oaks
with sparse patches of moss whiskers
pointing down to their sprawling root feet.

I have nothing against the North,
even know some “Yankees” I like.
It’s the bitter cold and gray of Winter,
and snow that won’t melt butter
like a bowl of hot Jim Dandy® grits.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It all comes down to weather...:-)

Janice Thomson said...

Ah yes, what great imagery. And I so agree - I'm not a cold weather person anymore. Well said Pat!

Rethabile said...

Nice contrast. I miss grits...not. I miss southern cooking, Appalachian, and the general atmosphere of East Tennessee that came with spring and dogwoods. Thanks for the reminder.

polona said...

i so agree about the weather.
great imagery again.

Masago said...

Yeee-haaaw!

Yes said...

Hey y'all...we Yankees do eat grits for breakfast, and sometimes dinner too! (speaking for myself there...)
It certainly takes the chill off in more ways than one!

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

amen, brother! all of my family is here, Mississippi, Louisianna, or Texas. We hate cold. :)

floots said...

i must get down there one day
y'all be waitin' y'hear :)

Bill said...

If you don't like New England weather, wait a minute.

Katie McKenna said...

giggling.. I love grits! But I'm a born Southerner who loves the North! Crazy girl!

EATING POETRY said...

ha ha! I envisioned the "Ya'll" doing summersaults as it traveled through your poem and off the page! Well done.

Elena Horowitz-Brookes said...

Love your description of the lazy-winged heron piggybacked on a warm Georgia breeze. Excellent!
Though I've never been there, I feel know your "South" through your superb descriptive prose.
And the weather contrast as well!
Wonderful, Pat!

sage said...

Oh yeah, but some warm Jim Dandy grits are good up here on a cold morning! Thanks for the chuckle.

Pris said...

Ahhh..I like this and there's nothing like grits!

Have you read Lewis Grizzard's SOUTHERN BY THE GRACE OF GOD? It's a riot. I always used to enjoy his columns, god speed.

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Pat: You are such a defector! You sound like my brother-in-law from East Cleveland who has lived in Charleston, SC for the past 15 years. The Civil War will never be over in some places ... I say this because my dear Dad lives in Tupelo, M-i-s-s-i-p-p-i.

NINANINA said...

Pat, I'll go to Alaska and bring my Texas grits as I grit me teeth in the cold :) :) love the south and love the north too!