Category: writing

Three Selected Poems

~ Meg ~ 53 Comments

I have never really considered poetry to be my strong suit. Nevertheless, I have built up a nice little collection. Recently, I was alerted to a poetry competition taking place here in Bucks County for Bucks County residents only and sponsored by the Doylestown Bookshop. Since I qualify all around, and my novels are set in Doylestown, where the bookshop resides, I decided to give it a try.

The rules call for three poems, no more, no less. The question was how to pick the right three… When in doubt, ask for help. My dear friend, Roger Moore (no not 007), poet, published author and academic, read and critiqued eight of my poems and helped to select the three I will submit. In addition, he suggested an order for them that actually tells an eerie little story. You’ve read them before but here they are again and with an audio track as well. What do you think of the tale these tell?

Tales Of War   

Gathering dust and clinging webs
The attic cache lies in wait
Trunks and boxes long untouched
The time has come to investigate

Sepia photos, cracked and faded
Sticking pages, broken binding
Letters home, bound with twine
The tales of war, I’m finding

Peruse the pictures, study the faces
So full of youthful determination
His postures straight, those twinkling eyes
Would soon witness extermination

Ravaged, disfigured, lungs burned by gas
Returned to England, war scarce survived
Haunted by nightmares, wracked by cough
This broken man came home to die

War upon his sweetheart, laid the burden
Tore away the chance for a happy life
For the babe that quickened in 1914
Was all that he left his beloved wife

Pitch Black  

She was as welcome
As a ray of sunshine…
On a parched desert world
Devoid of life
Atmosphere burned away
By hydrocarbons

She was as wanted
As a downpour…
On the day of the funeral
The mourners soaked
With cold rain
And bitter tears

She was as loved
As an armistice…
On the final day of a war
In which your son
Was the last one
To die

She was as pitch black
As the agony in her broken heart

Night Work

Silence flees from the forest
At the snap of twigs beneath boots
The burden grows ever more heavy
While carefully avoiding tree roots

This menial task is performed
Under deepest cover of night
With great exertion and haste
The toiler must keep out of sight

As milky eyes stare up blankly
And porcelain skin seems to glow
Cool flesh, ragged nails and torn clothing
Beneath loamy soil, sink low

Then with the deed accomplished
Straighten up, breathe deep and be brave
Leave the girl’s corpse to rot slowly
In her exclusive woodland grave

Brothels of Pompeii

~ Meg ~ 22 Comments

Header image: Mount Vesuvius, as seen from the streets of Naples – photo my own.

Yes, the world’s oldest profession… I was going to make this a Wordless Wednesday post, but I really think it deserves a little description. So in the name of history, let me explain what you are looking at. The images painted on the walls of a typical brothel of the time –Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79– weren’t merely to arouse the patrons visiting the establishment. You see, at the height of Pompeii’s splendor, an average citizen would have been illiterate. Only the upper classes would have been able to read or write. Thus, the images provided a sort of menu from which the customer could make some choices. Also, notice that the one being ‘serviced’ in the images all had the darker skin of someone who worked out of doors, perhaps depicting a shepherd or field laborer, whereas the prostitutes all had the fairest of skin. Here are some photos from my trip to Italy in 2009:

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Le Boulangerie (9) – Beignets

~ Meg ~ 44 Comments

To accompany my novel in progress: Breaking Bread, welcome to Le Boulangerie.

It is Fat Tuesday today, Mardi Gras or if you are Pennsylvania Dutch (German) — Fasnacht Day (Fast Night Day), the last day before the start of Lent, which if you are observant is not supposed to be a whole lot of fun. Thus Fat Tuesday, is the last day to party hard and indulge in sweets and other goodies before the restrictions apply.

Beignets are pastries made from deep frying choux pastry dough (light, moist dough that will puff up when fried). When a heavier yeast pastry is used, they are referred to as boules de Berlin or Berliner doughnuts. (Fun fact: Remember when President Kennedy said ‘Ich bin ein Berliners’ [we are all Berliners]? – he was telling everyone they were doughnuts. Speechwriter, you had one job…)

In New Orleans, the Cafe du Monde is famous for its beignets. And what other city in the USA is more famous for its Mardi Gras celebration than New Orleans? So in Le Boulangerie this week, we ‘laissez le bon temps roulez’ and made beignets. I trashed my kitchen and developed diabetes in one fell swoop…

Beignets (makes about 2 dozen):

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten and at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • vegetable oil for frying

Method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and one tablespoon of the sugar in the warm water for about 5 minutes. It’ll get foamy. Add the milk, egg, vanilla, butter, the rest of the sugar, baking soda, salt, and flour. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until a sticky dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, dust with more flour, and either flatten by hand or roll to an 1/8 inch thickness. Using a knife (or I used a pizza cutter) cut the dough into 2 inch squares. They don’t have to be perfect. Mine were all different shapes and sizes.


Preheat the oil such that a drop of water will sizzle when you test it. I realize that’s not very precise… do your best. Err on the side of too cool rather than too hot.  Gently drop the squares, a few at a time, into the hot oil. Once they have risen and puffed, flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining dough. Generously dust with confectioners’ sugar.  Eat until they’re gone or you’re in a sugar coma, whichever comes first!

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