05 October 2012

Delicious, Sweet, Cold Plums

William Carlos Williams wrote:

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

I have long loved this poem - I used to imagine myself eating those delicious, juicy, cold plums and then using the magnetic words on the icebox to write one of the greatest explanations for slightly naughty behavior ever. The recipient of this explanation always laughed at my cleverness and replied "there's always plenty for those who share!" 

Lately, though, I worry about becoming the embodiment of the indulgent carelessness of this poem - eating all the plums and leaving only a selfish, non-apologetic note behind.

We'll be in the Galilee this weekend for a long, leisurely weekend.  I'm looking forward to some time to sit and do some introspective thinking.

3 comments:

Lisa Sanderson said...

Instead of plums you should try prunes. It's the fruit that keeps on giving.

Garrett B said...

Sweet and cold or not, who wants more than one plum? And that's your breakfast? Bleh.

emerdean said...

You could always leave the stems and pits for the person who would selfishly have wanted the luscious fruits for her/him self.
You could also use the magnetic letters to write a tribute to the future that lives within a plum pit.
That should leave you satisfied and shut the other person up!