Summer Sunday Dinner at The Moorings

First thick and heavy Sundays papers – Globe, Times, and funnie papers

Dagwood and Peanuts, Gasoline Alley, Dick Tracy, Mary Worth, Prince Valiant

Coke in small clear-green glass bottles, cold from the ice box

Dubonnet for women and scotch and beers for men

Club crackers and Triskets and fresh clam dip

Then family gathered around the heavy dining table

Under the interested bright blue eyes of Elisha

Nan’s grace…Bless this food to our use…Lives to Thy service

Bop carving a huge roast of beef

On oval channeled silver platter

The first dark outside slice always for Herself at table end

The last cut, rarest of all, for Himself at table head

Always a small slice of outside crusty peppered fat for grandchildren,

With roast potatoes dripping with blood red juice

And warm Yorkshire pudding mysteriously mixed alone by Hannah

A brimming silver gravy boat attached to its base

Fresh corn on the cob we kids had picked moments ago

           in the hedged kitchen garden

Under warm summer sun and soft southwest breeze

Fresh-picked bright green peas or string beans or orange carrots, soft and buttery

Pickled watermelon rind especially for an uncle

And creamed onions to be avoided by grandchildren

For dessert fresh vanilla ice cream home-made at Petersen’s

Runny with warm chocolate sauce.

Then too-quick thanks and we scattered

To race our 12s on the glittering blue Bay.