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A Cup of Sugar and a Splash of Bourbon by Gary Blankenship
You'd never know Aunt Angie
had once been Sister Mary Ann;
habitless, she picked up
more habits than most.
There was more booze in her
than her chocolate bourbon balls;
and when she conducted for Hank
with a cigar, she damned
near put Uncle Frank's wife's eye out.
In her yellow mini-skirt
and orange go-go boots,
prancing round to Charlie Pride,
she made all the men weep
and all the kids cry.
In that old Airstream,
Uncle Frank's put up on blocks,
'cause he was too cheap
to reline the brakes,
she taught us how to make
cat's cradles,
paper cranes,
pea shooters,
and music through our teeth;
and there was always candy,
donuts and bourbon balls
(if you helped wash the dishes.)
Carrying a purse
as big as Uncle Frank's belly,
she'd leave weddings
and wakes
with freezer bags
full of goodies,
mortifying her sisters;
but when we were good,
she'd let us guess
which was once cod,
chicken fried steak
as she cleaned out her purse.
Old and dancing no more,
she told me when they laid Frank away,
"Boy, better to believe
in Newton's gravity
than the Pope's God.
You can see the results of the one;
but don't go looking
for positive proof of the other."
The sisters buried Angie
in her habit,
and then squabbled
over who got her rosary,
a three legged card table
and that old RV.
Gary Blankenship is a retired financial manager whose avocation is writing poetry. His work has appeared in several zines and a few paper mags in the USA and other countries. He edits the poetry pages of www.writershood.com, a zine. His home page is http://gardawg.homestead.com/gardawg.html. A chapbook, Autumn Reflections, has been published, wherein A Cup of Sugar and a Splash of Bourbon first appeared. He is the CEO and secretary for Santiam Publishing, which does limited edition chapbook runs.. He wonders if he is an editor with a poet rattling around inside or a poet with an editor trying to get out. He has taught, moderated, judged and otherwise likely screwed up his brother.
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