Baby boomers have been witness to many changes in our culture. Among them, when we were quite young and beatniks (predecessors to our own hippies) were at the point of the sword, is poetry. The change we saw? Rhyme, Schmyme. With that in mind, we hope you’ll get a kick out of this latest poem from BoomerCafé’s Poet-In-Residence, Westchester, New York’s Harriet Shenkman. It’s about The Schmear.
There is a fundamental difference
between you and me.
It comes down to the way we
approach our bagel.
You are a fine artist, making
tiny dabs of cheese with your knife,
a pointillist, covering every bit
of surface, the interior circle
carefully sculpted.
I’m a schmearer, more like
Jackson Pollack, flinging large globs
of pinkish salmon spread overlapping
a white whip laced with chives,
edges of the round canvas still rough.
We make a fine couple,
my reckless schmear and
your painstaking masterpiece.
Harriet Shenkman
Thank you Harriet. You brought back memories of my childhood as my family sat at the breakfast room table on Saturday mornings and my dad, brother and I cut fresh warm bagels, you never toast fresh warm bagels, and schmearing cream cheese and layering it with lox, onion and tomatoes slices. Of course, mom, wanting no part of this, would carefully spread peanut butter and jelly, no schmearing for her, on a cinnamon raisin bagel.
I just got remember my childhood days, in breakfast when my father brings cookies and bread and my mom toast it with tasty flavor. I miss those days when my little family lives a happy life. Nice poem to describe your article thanks to share, keep updating more interesting articles relating childhood days.
Oh, but this poem says so much more than how two people eat bagels differently. One can easily imagine two very different approaches to life. With either interpretation, it’s a good poem–one that brings the world via the art scene into a personal situation, thus giving it a more universal appeal. Great job, Harriet!
Hello Harriet!
You brought back memories of my childhood as my family sat at the breakfast room table on Saturday mornings and my dad, brother and I cut fresh warm bagels, you never toast fresh warm bagels, and schmearing cream cheese and layering it with lox, onion and tomatoes slices.
Thanks a lot for this useful post.