Wednesday, March 2 “my grandma’s put it all in jars.”
Maybe it’s the winter season. Women and men from the list have been turning my head with never heard, or heard of, poems. Monday’s poet was a fifth grader. Today’s comes from a folk singer, Greg Brown remembering his grandma’s Iowa canning cellar in winter time. Near the time when my sibs and I were living our 100+ year old mother’s last months, someone got the idea to go down into her basement to the cellar up against the front foundation wall. When we were kids, we’d be part of canning time in August, pitting cherries with hair pins, coring apples, and pears; and breathing in steam and heat coming from her great cooking/canning pots, ladling fruit into bell jars, getting the vacuum seal right. Carrying them down to the fruit cellar. By the time she & we were done 3 walls of shelves were lined with glistening promises made to any number of winter suppers. Magic. When we went down to the cellar so late in her life, weren’t there still a few jars on shelves? Not for eating anymore, age had broken the seals. But for remembering childhood in winter. It never occurred to me that someone might create a song about this particular childrens’ work and play. But here’s the song. A UDM colleague sent the print lyrics for about 40% of the sung version. The lyrics are pretty cool all by themselves, but the sung version is worth the 13 minutes and 59 seconds audio s/he also sent. Bet you’ll like it. A great poem/song for the day after a tough winter storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcs0oEz4QSE
Enjoy March and the mid-week.
john sj
Today’s Post “Taste a little of the Summer”
Greg Brown
Let those December winds bellow ‘n’ blow
I’m as warm as a July tomato.
[chorus:]
Peaches on the shelf
Potatoes in the bin
Supper’s ready, everybody come on in
Taste a little of the summer,
Taste a little of the summer,
You can taste a little of the summer
my grandma’s put it all in jars.
Well, there’s a root cellar, fruit cellar down below
Watch you head now, and down you go
And there’s [repeat chorus]
Maybe you’re weary an’ you don’t give a damn
I bet you never tasted her blackberry jam.
[repeat chorus]
Ah, she’s got magic in her – you know what I mean
She puts the sun and rain in with her green beans.
[repeat chorus]
What with the snow and the economy and ev’ry’thing,
I think I’ll jus’ stay down here and eat until spring.
[repeat chorus]
When I go to see my grandma I gain a lot of weight
With her dear hands she gives me plate after plate.
She cans the pickles, sweet & dill
She cans the songs of the whippoorwill
And the morning dew and the evening moon
‘N’ I really got to go see her pretty soon
‘Cause these canned goods I buy at the store
Ain’t got the summer in them anymore.
You bet, grandma, as sure as you’re born
I’ll take some more potatoes and a thunderstorm.
Peaches on the shelf
Potatoes in the bin
Supper’s ready, everybody come on in, now
Taste a little of the summer,
Taste a little of the summer,
Taste a little of the summer,
My grandma put it all in jars.
Let those December winds bellow and blow,
I’m as warm as a July tomato.
[repeat chorus]
Ball 67000 Quart Wide Mouth Mason Jars, Silver Lids pack of 12 (32 OZ)