Me and the girls
are all stood around
in the kitchen at Claire’s,
and the boys are all there,
in the room next door –
they’re watching the match –
we can follow the score
from the noise that they make –
and the room smells of chilli
and brownies and chips,
and someone says “cocktails”,
and someone says “yes!”
and somehow my daughter
is smiling and trying her first margarita,
and I’m rimming glasses
with salt, and we’re laughing,
because, you know, rimming,
and everyone’s drinking
but Zoe – because of the baby –
she’s sticking to shandy
and 10 cups of tea, and all of a sudden
this room full of women
feels like we’re a myth – we’re all ages,
all sizes, in jeans and in dresses,
all cackling and stirring,
and screeching and loving –
and then there’s a roar
from the room next door,
and someone nips through
to check on the score,
and we all roll our eyes,
because…lads. And we’re back.
Brian is our guest host at dVerse, and asks us to share a specific moment with him. This is also a tribute to Jim at Stop Dragging the Panda, and his Lads Poetry Project.
Jim is exploring the bits of life that don’t make it into poems, and I’m enjoying it very much.
I love that group vibe – all laughing and smiling despite the age differences. These are moments to treasure Sarah. Enjoy your trip!
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Sarah, this is such a well-written poem about a very pleasant gathering. Reading it makes me feel as if I am there! All the Best. Cheryl
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Haha. As i sit here in my futbol jersey I am wondering which match… But i guess its cause i am a lad. My Reds let me down yesterday.
What a cool moment to have all the different generations in the room and the connections being made. So much wisdom to be shared up and down the line.
Ah i love a good margarita too. Had a Presidente yesterday with a touch of brandy in it as well. And salt rim over sugar any day.
Those moments are important to realize.
Brian
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I love how you’ve been inspired by Jim’s lad culture poems, Sarah, they are great fun. I like the pace of your poem, the joie de vivre, and I feel as if I know everyone. I also like the appeal to the senses, especially the brownies and chips – mmm. I chuckled at the cheeky rimming joke and rolling of the eyes at the lads and their match. It’s all so warm and cosy.
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What fun! I want to be there in that kitchen!
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Oh… I would probably prefer to be in the kitchen instead of watching the game… but most likely I would sit there with the lads not understanding anything about the game except the score.
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I’m reminded of many happy family times with the women in the kitchen and the guys absorbed in the game. You’ve drawn the picture so well I can almost hear the laughter!
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Grrrrrrrrl Power is a force of nature beautiful to behold. You brought back memories of happy moments with the family.
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I like this poem very much indeed.
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I love this prompt; everyone has raised their poetics to a higher level; excellence abounds like a city dog her first day in the country, or at the beach. Your details are so vivid, and your sense of place is fantastic. I assume the chips are BBQ.
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Oh this made me laugh. Beautifully crafted… what a wonderful family moment you captured there. Thank you for sharing!
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I LOVED this , I could see it all, hear the cackling – wonderfully captured! I hope you email a copy to all those friends…….because……..women friends.
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This is so nice. It’s beautifully written and evocative to just being with your type of people, the ones that make you smile and as well have fun. Great poem here!
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This is a wonderful moment, a tribe of women. Ah, that first margarita!
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This is great, Sarah, and thanks for the nod. It’s a perfect counterpoint to the Lad’s project…that other party going on in the room next to all that ladness! I like the vernacular “all stood” , the details about the food and drink and the”rimming” joke, all consistent with the requirement that the tone be somewhat less than elevated! I can see a parallel project emerging.JIM
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Really really enjoyed this, very relatable and such a happy wholesome vibe
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It’s the gallons of tea that does it, reminds me so much of family gatherings, with the distinct atmospheres, the soft laughter and chatter of the women and the loud, showing off noise of the men. A good memory.
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I love how I laughed to myself first before realizing that you, too, were in on the joke, indeed had placed it there so casual-like in the middle of your poem. Nice touch! ~Jason
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Delightful memory Sarah!
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A wonderful moment in time Sarah!
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Jim has just pointed me to your poem — and its great!
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I’m smiling at how well you’ve described a perfectly mundane scene in many a family …. I think in particular of after the Thanksgiving day meal in the oh so stereotypical way with the women cleaning up and the men in the basement or the den or wherever that television is watching a football (American style) game. LOVE this post!
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Oh, yes, the world moves on, but the women still seem to end up in the kitchen while the men watch the game!
That’s not entirely true, but some of my best times have been in the kitchen…
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This was so well written, I felt like I was there in the room. This is usually how holidays go as I remember, the women split up in the kitchen while the men watch the game. The divide has always bothered me, but there is comfort in it and you portray that comfort well.
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