[the Writing of Kuypers]
so six of us
all I know is that
I took one bite
and Jocelyn, sitting next to me,
I told her to try some
(and I thought:
and she started making fun of me,
and I’d take her jabs in stride
and that’s when I remember
is that what I get
U.S. Government Copyright © 2004
[JanetKuypers.com][Bio][Poems][Prose]
Sweetened Sweet Potatoes
07/27/06
(Dreams 07/27/06)
went out to eat,
me and a date,
Jocelyn and her date,
and another woman with her date,
and we were at this large dinner hall
and out table was set up
like a long rectangle
Jocelyn was to my right
and when I took a bite
of the mashed sweet potatoes,
it tasted syrup-sweet,
like they added a cup of sugar
to my serving alone
and was repulsed
by all of the sugar
that was added to my food,
and I said something
about how repulsive it tasted
thought I was crazy for complaining
to see how over sweet it is
and her response
was that this was the way
mashed sweet potatoes were made
sweet potatoes were already sweet,
why make them sweeter?)
knowing I am a vegetarian and
putting a piece of white meat
on her fork and asking me
to try it, you know,
in case I don’t know
what foods taste like any more
maybe my complaint did sound silly
but she wouldn’t stop making fun of me
and the next thing I knew
she was standing,
walking around the table
with one or two more people
while she’s making fun of my comments
getting really angry,
getting up
and walking over to her,
stopping her
by grabbing her with one hand
and almost threateningly
telling her to shut up
for complaining about my food?
Copyright © 2006 Janet Kuypers.
Chicago Poet Janet Kuypers
on all art and all writings on this site completed
before 6/6/04. All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.
