Poetry Forum

History Recycles


We eat potatoes like
pre-Famine and pre-Transportation Irish
just not boiled–
only salted, sliced or slivered
or reduced to powder and
reconstituted and then
seasoned, salted, fried in oil
or baked if we’re feeling virtuous
and did I mention salted?
All packaged up in cellophane
and Mylar or hot fries
in oiled and peppered
salted cardboard.
So, “food deserts” to the contrary,
no famine; as for Transportation
some poor, not too law-abiding
run their cars on after-use
deep-frying oil.

(05-24-2023, 04:00 AM)dukealien Wrote: [ -> ]History Recycles


We eat potatoes like
pre-Famine and pre-Transportation Irish
just not boiled–
only salted, sliced or slivered
or reduced to powder and
reconstituted and then
seasoned, salted, fried in oil
or baked if we’re feeling virtuous
and did I mention salted?
All packaged up in cellophane
and Mylar or hot fries
in oiled and peppered
salted cardboard.
So, “food deserts” to the contrary,
no famine; as for Transportation
some poor, not too law-abiding
run their cars on after-use
deep-frying oil.

Loved this section... 

"only salted, sliced or slivered
or reduced to powder and
reconstituted and then
seasoned, salted, fried in oil"

Love this song, however historically accurate or flawed it might be... 

(05-24-2023, 04:00 AM)dukealien Wrote: [ -> ]History Recycles


We eat potatoes like
pre-Famine and pre-Transportation Irish
just not boiled–
only salted, sliced or slivered               "instead" instead of only ?
or reduced to powder and
reconstituted and then
seasoned, salted, fried in oil
or baked if we’re feeling virtuous
and did I mention salted?
All packaged up in cellophane
and Mylar or hot fries
in oiled and peppered
salted cardboard.
So, “food deserts” to the contrary,
no famine; as for Transportation
some poor, not too law-abiding
run their cars on after-use
deep-frying oil.                          my favorite bit

One nit pick, but overall a very righteously fun poem.  Really liked how you used the Irish to segueway into (and structure) the poem.