The Receipt
for Beth
Winter wore me out, bowed me down.
My roots strong, still I chilled with fear
that winter would linger into forever,
some Witch of Narnia in charge.
I succumbed, shook with fever,
body racked with cough,
in the month of my birth.
Kindness brought a cure.
Like frugal colonial housewives,
my friend and I exchange lists
of the delicious, the delectation
of effective combinations.
I see this one here, in her hand:
“Moxie’s Cold Cure.”
Golds of fresh lemon and
honey, heat of fresh ginger
and cayenne, boiled with water
then capped with a darker
liquid deemed “Super
Echinacea.” This prairie brew
blew through my petty maladies
with root, leaf, flower, and seed;
restored the hope we all need
of gentler weather and warmer breeze;
helped me accept and believe
that I am worthy to ask. And receive.
Leslie Schultz
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So glad this spoke to you, Beth. May the Moxie’s prevail! (And Madeline’s young man, too….)
What a nice surprise! To catch up with emails and daily Leslie poems with one inspired by a cold cure I shared with you! Love the language of it! Especially this part of the poem:
the delectation
of effective combinations.
I see this one here, in her hand:
“Moxie’s Cold Cure.”
Golds of fresh lemon and
honey, heat of fresh ginger
and cayenne, boiled with water
then capped with a darker
liquid deemed “Super
Echinacea.” This prairie brew
blew through my petty maladies
with root, leaf, flower, and seed;
restored the hope we all need
of gentler weather and warmer breeze;
Then the photos. It’s POURING rain and just above freezing today. We are gearing up to go cheer Madeline’s boyfriend on in the Boston Marathon – yuk! I will carry some Moxie’s Cold Cure with me as planned! And think of your echinacea photos with the hope of spring – soon to come?