Cucumbers and Tomatoes

My attempt at writing about tomatoes without copying Guy Clark. Yes, folks, John Denver sang “Homegrown Tomatoes” and made it almost mainstream, but the songwriting master, Guy Clark, wrote it.

It’s cucumber and tomato season.

I don’t have a garden

But when it’s late July in Memphis, Mississippi, Alabama

And the heat and humidity are mid-90’s,

Cooling to mid-80’s at night,

The only thing I really want to eat for dinner

are fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.

Home grown tomatoes are best,

But any ripe ones will do.

Slice ‘em real thin.

Layer them on any kind of bread

  [I’ll have mine on white

  I can have my whole grains later.]

Sprinkle on some salt and pepper

Add mayo if you must

  Or, in my case, maybe some salsa,

  Which is totally wrong

  If you are a true southerner.

  Which I am not.

  I’m a transplant and I brought my northern and western tastebuds with me,

Never been a mayo girl.

Take a bite

Over the sink or a very large plate

Which can catch the dripping tomato juice

And mayo

  or salsa

and feel your temperature quickly go down.

Next,

Peel and slice a cucumber

and snack on it before preparing another

   juicy

      drippy

sandwich.

When the heat index soars,

Chill your mouth

With fresh veggies first,

Then you can top it off with the iced tea and ice cream

It’s cucumber and tomato season

in the south

And I am enjoying each bite.

Bring on the heat

I am ready.

Poem - Summer in Memphis

Poem

Summer in Memphis,

Sticky, sweaty, hot 

outside.

Noisy, air conditioned

inside.

Outside, the air is still.

There is absolutely no wind blowing.

How can that be?

Inside, fans are working overtime

and electric bills are soaring.

At noon, no one is on the walking track behind my building.

It’s 90 degrees,

The weatherman says it feels like at least 93.

It’s humid and hot even when the sun is hidden behind a cloud

Barely a reprieve

Even for those precious few minutes.

In case my words haven’t driven home the point

Go ahead and ask me,

“How hot and humid is tt?”

My sunglasses and phone screen fog up

When I step outside.from my office in the early afternoon.

I can see the humidity in the air.

When she visited,

my daughter swore she could feel the humidity seeping through the walls.

I walk in it.

I run and bike in it.

I have to cut back on my miles a bit

But I don’t let it stop me entirely.

Doesn’t mean I like it

Just that I tolerate it.

Can’t say it feels good

Because it doesn’t.

Steamy, muggy, humid, hot.

Sweaty, anxious, tempers on edge.

Summer in Memphis.

Not all that different from when I was in Mobile.

Except then I was younger

And didn’t know any better.