Lawrence University Creative Writing Club Flash Fiction Poetry Selection
Straight from the can
in large enough vats to feed a family reunion-sized crowd,
Ours
Fried potato disks, heavy on the salt
and dipped in ketchup at midnight,
Ultra-buttery English muffins, their crags
dark and crispy
taken out of the toaster set by set
until the whole room nurses one.
Tall, cold, glasses of whole milk before
and after and in-between yard work
An open-mouthed nap for dessert
Apples and oranges and apricots
Sunwarmed
Straight from their respective trees
Delivered seasonally in Fry’s plastic grocery bags.
**
A family reunion-sized family. He adds
pepper to his tomatoey bowl.
The tradition floats conversations.
Each time we ask, he deposits
hot fried potatoes to the counter alongside
Stories, the rompings of brothers.
Until the whole room nurses one, or more,
He burns his fingers on English muffins straight from the toaster
A craggy snack while the rest of dinner cooks.
An open-mouthed nap on the couch means
He has mowed, weeded, built, served,
Downed whole milk in glasses not too cold
for sensitive teeth. Fry’s plastic bags
filled with seasonal fruit from his backyard.
Apples and oranges and apricots