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
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