On white butcher block paper – v2

I remember how I felt,
marveling at the look of it,
the way mom interacted,
the banter, the repartee,
being known in the gate,
a friend, not just a customer,
returning again and again…
 
Coming to the meat counter
to take our order, moving,
diving into conversation,
the local butcher at Cantell's market,
remembering his working hands,
brusquely, wiping them on a towel,
the nub of his thick pencil at the ready…
 
His scrawl on white butcher block paper,
writing the details of mom’s order,
his white apron tied in the front,
starched but covered,
with blood, all the juices,
working quickly, a line behind us
meats wrapped in white butcher block paper ...
 
------------------------
Edited March 19, 2024
On white butcher block paper – v2
 
Edited March 17, 2024
On white butcher block paper
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/03/on-white-butcher-block-paper.html
March 17, 2024
On butcher block paper
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/03/on-butcher-block-paper.html
Cantell's Supermarket
11 Franklin Street
Westfield, MA
Owned by Richard L. Cantell
Matchbook cover - https://www.ebay.com/itm/364698495439
&
Edited February 22, 2024
Willing the ball Fair – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/willing-ball-fair-v2.html
Edited February 22, 2024
Learning to Swing – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/learning-to-swing-v2.html
&
Edited February 13, 2024
Roads in the dirt – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/roads-in-dirt-v3.html
&
Edited February 13, 2024
winged samaras – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/winged-samaras-v3.html
&
February 1, 2024
A metal slug
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-metal-slug-coin.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com  Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, family, childhood, play, Westfield, MA, Cantells, butcher,
 
#Poetry #family #childhood #play #Westfield #MA #Cantells #butcher

On white butcher block paper

Coming to the meat counter
to take our order, moving,
diving into conversation,
the local butcher at Cantell's Market,
remembering his working hands,
wiping them on a towel,
the nub of his thick pencil…
 
His scrawl on white butcher block paper,
the details of mom’s order,
his white apron tied in the front,
starched but covered,
with blood, all of the juices,
working quickly, a line behind us
meats wrapped in white butcher block paper ...
 
------------------------
Edited March 17, 2024
On white butcher block paper
 
March 17, 2024
On butcher block paper
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/03/on-butcher-block-paper.html
Cantell's Super Market
11 Franklin Street
Westfield, MA
Matchbook cover - https://www.ebay.com/itm/364698495439
&
Edited February 22, 2024
Willing the ball Fair – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/willing-ball-fair-v2.html
Edited February 22, 2024
Learning to Swing – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/learning-to-swing-v2.html
&
Edited February 13, 2024
Roads in the dirt – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/roads-in-dirt-v3.html
&
Edited February 13, 2024
winged samaras – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/winged-samaras-v3.html
&
February 1, 2024
A metal slug
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-metal-slug-coin.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com  Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, family, childhood, play, Westfield, MA, Cantells, butcher,
 
#Poetry #family #childhood #play #WestfieldMA #Cantells #butcher

On butcher block paper

Coming to the counter

To take our order, moving,

The local butcher at Cantell's Market,

Remembering his hands,

The nub of his pencil, 

His scrawl on the butcher block paper,

His white apron covered,

With blood, all of the juices,

Working quickly, a line behind us ...

------------------------
March 17, 2024
On butcher block paper
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/03/on-butcher-block-paper.html
Cantell's Super Market
11 Franklin Street
Westfield, MA
Matchbook cover - https://www.ebay.com/itm/364698495439
&
Edited February 22, 2024
Willing the ball Fair – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/willing-ball-fair-v2.html
Edited February 22, 2024
Learning to Swing – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/learning-to-swing-v2.html
&
Edited February 13, 2024
Roads in the dirt – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/roads-in-dirt-v3.html
&
Edited February 13, 2024
winged samaras – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/winged-samaras-v3.html
&
February 1, 2024
A metal slug
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-metal-slug-coin.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com  Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, family, childhood, play, Westfield, MA, Cantells, butcher,
 
#Poetry #family #childhood #play #WestfieldMA #Cantells #butcher

Closer to the Fire – v4

A summer, long ago

a different sleepover,

out under the stars,

in the Berkshire woods

when summer camp

meant the YMCA, Camp Shepard

Dad and I arrived late,

what a surprise,

my age group

already at the campsite,

long past dusk

Finding a spot to roll the sleeping bag

on the ground, look for roots,

for rocks underneath

see the sparks of the campfire

yards off, spiraling upward

toward the white pines above

Creating strange orange silhouettes

in the June air, stillness

Nearer to the overflowing trash can

than the fire pit, a few of us stragglers

hunkering down for the night

A sudden rustling nearby, FREEZE…

for the family of skunks

was out for a snack;

lay still in the sleeping bags

boys, for we dread a mistake

made more real, urgent,

this far from the fire.

---------------------

edited September 26, 2019

Closer to the Fire – v4

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2019/09/closer-to-fire-v4.html

editing original and version 3

&

edited September 26, 2019

Pocahontas-ed – v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2019/09/pocahontas-ed-v2.html

&

edited September 26, 2019

Focused on My Family – v3

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2019/09/focused-on-my-family-v3.html

&

Edited January 7, 2014

Focused on My Family - v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/01/focused-on-my-family-v2.html

&

edited April 7, 2015

Closer to the Fire – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/04/closer-to-fire-v3.html

(editing version 2)

Camp Shepard

https://www.facebook.com/groups/42387562562/

https://www.facebook.com/CampShepard

edited July 22, 2012

“Closer to the Fire – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/07/closer-to-fire-v2.html

&

part of a series of poems written the same night

&

September 23, 2006 21:07

Focused on My Family

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/09/focused-on-my-family.html

note 9/26/19 –

not sure the basis of the change in plans,

Erica was 10, Shyanne 6, Shanequa 4;

but I wrote the poem Pocahontas-ed

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/09/pocahontas-ed.html

at September 23, 2006 21:12, about 5 minutes later

about the girls sleeping downstairs with gramma

and about 15 minutes later I wrote the poem

Closer to the Fire at September 23, 2006 21:22

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/09/closer-to-fire.html

about YMCA summer camp years before

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 52,080+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

faith poetry, Family, fire, forest, God, June, Poetry Where You Live, praise poems, praise poetry, Raymond A. Foss, rock, senses, stone, summer, white, yard, YMCA, Camp Shepard, Westfield,

#faith #poetry #Family #fire #forest #God #June #rock #senses #stone #summer #white #yard #YMCA #CampShepard

Athenaeum – v2

History, biography, adventures, opened,

found in the pages I read

how long I wanted to linger

in reading the names on the shelf

How much I needed to learn more

about the world and that place

the marvels in the printed words

were more than I could embrace

I wanted to stay there and linger

with heroes and tales of old

to see the world through their tales

and spend hours in their throes

To wander throughout the whole world

without leaving my room or my space

to grow and to flourish

among the pages of these books

=====

edited April 7, 2015

Athenaeum – v2

July 22, 2006 21:32

Athenaeum

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/07/athenaeum.html

– my first library

Westfield Athenaeum –

http://www.westath.org/

https://www.facebook.com/westath

https://twitter.com/westath/

https://www.facebook.com/PictureWestfield

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 36,880+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Closer to the Fire – v3

A summer, long ago

a different sleepover,

out under the stars,

in the Berkshire woods

when summer camp

meant the YMCA,

our own Camp Shepard.

We arrived late,

what a surprise, just kidding,

my age group , laid out

already at the campsite,

long past dusk, tripping on the roots

searching for them, looking in the dark.

Find a spot to roll the sleeping bag

on the ground, look for roots,

for rocks underneath, be careful,

see the sparks of the campfire

yards off, spiraling upward

toward the white pines above.

Creating strange orange silhouettes

in the June air, stillness,

Nearer to the overflowing trash can

than the fire pit, a few of us stragglers

hunkering down for the night

hopefully not in a bed of poison ivy.

A sudden rustling nearby, freeze, quiet!

for the family of skunks

was out for an evening snack;

Lay still in the sleeping bags boys,

for we dread a mistake,

made more real, urgent

this far from the fire.

----

edited April 7, 2015

Closer to the Fire – v3

(editing version 2)

Camp Shepard

https://www.facebook.com/groups/42387562562/

https://www.facebook.com/CampShepard

edited July 22, 2012

“Closer to the Fire – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/07/closer-to-fire-v2.html

September 23, 2006 21:22

“Closer to the Fire”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/09/closer-to-fire.html

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 36,880+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Athenaeum

History, biography,
adventure
found in the pages I read
how long I wanted to linger
in reading the names on the shelf
how much I needed to learn more
about the world and that place
the marvels in the printed words
were more than I could embrace
I wanted to stay there and linger
with heroes and tales of old
to see the world through their tales
and spend hours in their throes
to wander throughout the whole world
without leaving my room or my space
to grow and to flourish
among the pages of books

July 22, 2006 21:32

Athenaeum

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/07/athenaeum.html

– my first library

Westfield Athenaeum –

http://www.westath.org/

https://www.facebook.com/westath

https://twitter.com/westath/

https://www.facebook.com/PictureWestfield

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 36,880+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.