I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

19 April 2012

The One We Don't Mention

The favourite local delicacy
is not openly spoken of.
In fact I myself haven’t tasted it
for years, not since before even
moving up here — back when
it wasn’t specific to a place
so much as a time:
that experimental era
when we tried so many ways
to give our lives new flavour.

In these parts, I guess you could say
we’re in permanent time warp.
Indeed, the main ingredient
in the best of this region’s cuisine
is our staple crop, widespread
throughout the district. Old timers still
remember the Great Disaster — the raid
which put so many growers out of action
that the local economy went bust
and the hardware store had to close.

Of course, there’s more ways than one
to ingest what is often considered
a gift from the gods (at once
so pleasurable and so good for us
that some people claim medicinal
dispensations). Plenty prefer to enjoy it
while sitting around and smoking.
Out Nimbin way, though, our Mary Jane
creates the most wicked, most munchable
cookies, with that little extra something!
(At least, so I’m told.)

April PAD Challenge #18: regional cuisine

5 comments:

  1. You definitely kept me guessing until the end... but I never realized that cookies could be a local delicacy. Brownies are a really good delicacy too. (At least, so I'm told.)

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  2. Also cakes, I believe.

    In the sixties many hippies settled in the rural town of Nimbin, and stayed. They now have an annual festival known as Mardi Grass (sic) and in fact are not very silent about their favourite crop. In the rest of the region similar values pertain, but more discreetly. Nimbin is known as the [you-know-what] capital of Australia.

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  3. It's interesting to know of these local 'specials'. Where hippies go, lots of their other 'stuffs' go too. These usually thrive when they come with a reputation. Cookies!...hm..hm. Great write Rosemary!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  4. "that experimental era
    when we tried so many ways
    to give our lives new flavour."

    Love this part. Enjoyed this look into once was and now is.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cool write...like this..."that experimental era
    when we tried so many ways
    to give our lives new flavour."

    ReplyDelete

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