Covered Dish Picnic 
 

Esther almost peed herself
at the Piscataquis County Covered Dish Picnic
 
After prayer
and before the baked beans and brown bread
she was to sing
Down By The Riverside
 
Summer dressed
and standing in the bed of her brother's wagon
Esther could see every face
she knew them all
knew their names
knew what they brought to share
called some family
 
She had inherited a voice
of such beauty
such rhapsodic, scientific balance
that women would faint in surrender
or embarrassment
and men would shake themselves into unspeakable smiles
 
As her sister fiddled the opening notes
she could see her husband in the back sipping beer
 
he had been rough with her once
 
but mostly kind
mostly true
almost always
 
as he put down his beer
he blew her a kiss
that made her blush
that warmed her breast
that began the song
that made them faint
 
and caused a tinkle
at the Piscataquis County Covered Dish Picnic