In Praise of Junk Food

Happy Poetry Friday!

In May, we wrote odes. Over the top odes, free verse odes, perhaps ridiculous odes. But it was fun! The approaches of my Poetry Sisters (aka Poetry 7, aka Poetry Princesses–and, yes, we’re at work on a crown sonnet again, so the Princess title will be revived!) are so varied and each wonderful in its own way. Just seeing what 7 people come up with based on an agreed-upon theme/form/key word, etc., is a huge learning experience. And, getting to connect with each of them every month is wonderful–the frosting on the cupcake, you might say.

I’ve done ode-writing sessions with students, and they love choosing some everyday object (like a toothbrush) and writing a wild ode to it (here are two examples). For mine, this time, I paid tribute to junk food, which I have a love/hate relationship with. I love it, and I hate that it’s so dang bad for me.

Addendum: AND I can’t believe I’m sharing this on National Donut Day, and I didn’t include a donut. To make up for it, I’m going to go eat a donut soon. I’ll let you know what flavor when I come back:>) [I’m back.] I got vanilla creme and chocolate creme. Yuuummmmmm!

In Praise of Junk Food

It was fun not to be constrained with a rhyme scheme and meter this time. And, of course, I enjoyed my research. I had to stop by Taco Bell several extra times for Cinnabon Delights, and then there was NadiaCakes, and, well, a few extra Heath bars from Walgreens. The commitment I have to research is just ridiculous. :>)

Don’t forgot to read all the Poetry Seven’s poems below. Here are their topics and a favorite phrase from each:

Tricia?? (ode to toilets from the…heart? — “from the port-a-potties I have / hovered over”)
Sara?? (ode to…see if you can guess before the end:>) — “I know! the Danes don’t stink, but they are often confused”)
Kelly (a thinking person’s ode to the “F” word–yes, that F word — “you denote both congress and, on / occasion, Congress”)
Liz? (ode to curly hair [sending it to my sister and daughter] and daughters — “An ovation to the corkscrews of crazy”)
Andi (must have been spying on my current knitting project when she wrote this ode to knitting — “Hours erased from the life / of my fingers”)
Tanita? (pure joy in Tanita’s ode to baubles — “bracelets, brooch-pins charming chains ? bling’s the thing that chants my name”)

Next up will be…something! But here are our previous collaborations:

May 2015: Pantoums
April 2015: Raccontinos
Mar 2015: Sestinas (Lord have mercy)
Feb 2015: Villanelles on hidden things
Jan 2015: Triolets on beginnings (And I posted an extra one here.)
Pre-2015: Villanelles, a crown sonnet, rondeau redoubles, and pantoums

And for more Poetry Friday fun, visit Buffy Silverman at Buffy’s Blog for the Poetry Friday Roundup!

 

 

82 Responses

  1. This tongue-in-cheek delightful celebration of junk food made me laugh a lot, Laura. I love “the chemical code of deliciousness”. Are you telling your secrets?

    1. Oh, I am, Linda. Though my in-person friends know it’s no secret. I have a dessert (at least one) pretty much every day. I need to feed my body better, but…

  2. This tongue-in-cheek delightful celebration of junk food made me laugh a lot, Laura. I love “the chemical code of deliciousness”. Are you telling your secrets?

    1. Oh, I am, Linda. Though my in-person friends know it’s no secret. I have a dessert (at least one) pretty much every day. I need to feed my body better, but…

  3. How did I miss that today is National Donut Day? Who knew? Your poem lacks nothing for its absence. And the last stanza cracks me up every time.
    Your poem is delicious!

    1. Thanks, Tricia! (And I edited your comment to get rid of the typo–I HATE when I have typos for all the world to see in their permanence)

  4. How did I miss that today is National Donut Day? Who knew? Your poem lacks nothing for its absence. And the last stanza cracks me up every time.
    Your poem is delicious!

    1. Thanks, Tricia! (And I edited your comment to get rid of the typo–I HATE when I have typos for all the world to see in their permanence)

  5. In praise of all courageous treats, I salute you on your delightful poem that has my taste buds doing a dance. Thanks for reminding me that today is National Donut Day so I am heading over to Dunkin’ Donut with the family. =>RING IN NATIONAL DONUT DAY ON JUNE 5 WITH A FREE DONUT OFFER FROM DUNKIN? DONUTS!
    This was such a fun way to ring in Happy Friday, Laura. Thanks a bunch!

    1. Oooh, jealous. But Maddie and I went to Cafe Donuts this a.m. and brought back a six-pack. I just weighed in at Weight Watchers and will be diving in to a vat of vanilla creme goodness before long:>) Happy Poetry Friday!

  6. In praise of all courageous treats, I salute you on your delightful poem that has my taste buds doing a dance. Thanks for reminding me that today is National Donut Day so I am heading over to Dunkin’ Donut with the family. =>RING IN NATIONAL DONUT DAY ON JUNE 5 WITH A FREE DONUT OFFER FROM DUNKIN? DONUTS!
    This was such a fun way to ring in Happy Friday, Laura. Thanks a bunch!

    1. Oooh, jealous. But Maddie and I went to Cafe Donuts this a.m. and brought back a six-pack. I just weighed in at Weight Watchers and will be diving in to a vat of vanilla creme goodness before long:>) Happy Poetry Friday!

    1. THanks, Liz. I try to love healthy food. I don’t love it, but I do eat it. When I’m not eating complete crap. But it’s soooo gooooood!

    1. THanks, Liz. I try to love healthy food. I don’t love it, but I do eat it. When I’m not eating complete crap. But it’s soooo gooooood!

  7. Laura, maybe writing odes to forbidden things satisfies our desires on some level, especially research is involved! What fun. I’m looking forward to reading your colleagues’ odes, too.

  8. Laura, maybe writing odes to forbidden things satisfies our desires on some level, especially research is involved! What fun. I’m looking forward to reading your colleagues’ odes, too.

  9. Totally delightful, Laura. I’m SO with you on this one. And I love your total dedication to the research involved regarding this poem. Now of course I’m craving a chocolate cream donut. What a dangerous post :).

  10. Totally delightful, Laura. I’m SO with you on this one. And I love your total dedication to the research involved regarding this poem. Now of course I’m craving a chocolate cream donut. What a dangerous post :).

  11. Donut day!!?!? Oh, how could I have forgotten about that???

    Have a cake doughnut with sprinkles for me… I smack my lips at this poem’s its full-fat goodness.

    1. Ooh, if you insist, I will do that just for you. After I finish my glazed sour-cream old-fashioned and my chocolate-creme-filled. 😀

  12. Donut day!!?!? Oh, how could I have forgotten about that???

    Have a cake doughnut with sprinkles for me… I smack my lips at this poem’s its full-fat goodness.

    1. Ooh, if you insist, I will do that just for you. After I finish my glazed sour-cream old-fashioned and my chocolate-creme-filled. 😀

  13. Well, I tried to write about Fritos, but I totally failed. You did it much better anyway—and now I’m salivating for a salted caramel cupcake. Oh, and I just love how this poem ends: “my delight is your doom” is a deliciously depraved turn of phrase. It makes me grin every time.

  14. Well, I tried to write about Fritos, but I totally failed. You did it much better anyway—and now I’m salivating for a salted caramel cupcake. Oh, and I just love how this poem ends: “my delight is your doom” is a deliciously depraved turn of phrase. It makes me grin every time.

  15. So glad you got to celebrate with a donut (while I’m dreaming of a core of liquid heaven…a sacred river!) Thanks for making my mouth water with your delicious words.

  16. So glad you got to celebrate with a donut (while I’m dreaming of a core of liquid heaven…a sacred river!) Thanks for making my mouth water with your delicious words.

  17. Odes are such fun, especially when they involve detailed research such as yours. I love to do odes with my students. We read Neruda’s Odes to Common Things. And then write our own. I’m off to jump around and read everyone else’s.

    1. Enjoy, Margaret. Neruda’s–and Soto’s, too–great mentor texts. Hope you have fun plans for summer. Will you be at ILA this year?

  18. Odes are such fun, especially when they involve detailed research such as yours. I love to do odes with my students. We read Neruda’s Odes to Common Things. And then write our own. I’m off to jump around and read everyone else’s.

    1. Enjoy, Margaret. Neruda’s–and Soto’s, too–great mentor texts. Hope you have fun plans for summer. Will you be at ILA this year?

  19. Now that is my kind of research. LOL Great ode, and I agree with you that free verse is so freeing after those demanding rhyming ones you’ve all done. Whew! I’m off to read some more odes. 🙂

  20. Now that is my kind of research. LOL Great ode, and I agree with you that free verse is so freeing after those demanding rhyming ones you’ve all done. Whew! I’m off to read some more odes. 🙂

    1. Yeah, savory would deserve its own ode. (Not french fries for me, though. Chips. Fried mac’n’cheese. Don’t get me started…)

    1. Yeah, savory would deserve its own ode. (Not french fries for me, though. Chips. Fried mac’n’cheese. Don’t get me started…)

  21. Wahoo odes! I love so many things about this, Laura–the elevated diction that varies with each stanza, the actual choices of junk food (which would never be mine, but RESPECT), and the NOT free stanza, which is dead clever. Looking forward to the others.

    Where do I apply to become the Poetry Eighth? : )

    1. Thanks, Heidi:>) We need a whole bunch of poetry clubs, don’t we? 5–8 members each. Monthly challenges. An in-person poetry tournament/concert. Oh, wouldn’t that be amazing?

  22. Wahoo odes! I love so many things about this, Laura–the elevated diction that varies with each stanza, the actual choices of junk food (which would never be mine, but RESPECT), and the NOT free stanza, which is dead clever. Looking forward to the others.

    Where do I apply to become the Poetry Eighth? : )

    1. Thanks, Heidi:>) We need a whole bunch of poetry clubs, don’t we? 5–8 members each. Monthly challenges. An in-person poetry tournament/concert. Oh, wouldn’t that be amazing?

  23. Oh, Laura — we have some similar tastes! Though I find I need to restrain mine a bit in this stage of life. I remember coming home from junior high school as a kid and having a standard snack of six little caramels and a Coke. :0! (Mom had gone back to work.)

    I, too, appreciate your extreme sacrifices in the service of poetry — Merci.

    1. It’s the least I can do:>) My afterschool snack in junior high was with my best friend, Alice. We would go to her house and make what we called sugar s^*. It was basically butter, flour, and brown sugar, I think. It was a recipe for a crumble topping for something. We made it and ate it straight from the bowl. (I NEED to restrain mine, but I seem unable to.)

  24. Oh, Laura — we have some similar tastes! Though I find I need to restrain mine a bit in this stage of life. I remember coming home from junior high school as a kid and having a standard snack of six little caramels and a Coke. :0! (Mom had gone back to work.)

    I, too, appreciate your extreme sacrifices in the service of poetry — Merci.

    1. It’s the least I can do:>) My afterschool snack in junior high was with my best friend, Alice. We would go to her house and make what we called sugar s^*. It was basically butter, flour, and brown sugar, I think. It was a recipe for a crumble topping for something. We made it and ate it straight from the bowl. (I NEED to restrain mine, but I seem unable to.)

  25. Laura, that “chemical code of deliciousness” is my favorite phrase here, and the last stanza of freedom! This is such a fun poem. I am going to go have some cookies right now!

  26. Laura, that “chemical code of deliciousness” is my favorite phrase here, and the last stanza of freedom! This is such a fun poem. I am going to go have some cookies right now!

    1. Thanks, Julie. We do have a blast (to varying degrees for each of us, I’m sure, depending on the form of the month:>)

    1. Thanks, Julie. We do have a blast (to varying degrees for each of us, I’m sure, depending on the form of the month:>)

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