The Master Piece

The Master Piece

A Story by Cherrie Palmer
"

my grandma's mixing bowl is what I choose to bring home, not pictures or treasures but a simple red bowl that held my childhood memories.

"
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This is a previous version of The Master Piece.



The Master Piece

Take three! My mind yells as again I rewrite this short little couplet.  A gentle warm and revealing smile spreads across my face and colors my memory in bliss; as I gaze at the paltry little red mixing bowl, which is air drying in my sink.  At forty-six plus years I have no memories that it did not have a place in the background.  My mother washed it for my Grandma, as did my Aunt, my three cousins and myself.  

Watching her whip up a meal was truly an art form.  She was a Christian woman, with simple speech and an honest measure for living. Not simple minded but her mind worked in a simple straight line. This line of thinking flavored her cooking but did not limit it's flavor. This mixing bowl was used in her cooking daily. With the passing of each meal it was washed and on most occasions it was washed more than once.

She would don her pale yellow and white checked apron, like the conductor would don his cummerbund.  Fortified with a wood spoon the symphony of smells and sounds would commence. Soft running water to rinse freshly harvested scallions and basil would drip in the colander, while freshly rendered bacon grease crackles in the skillet. Dried-out cornbread and biscuits found themselves tossed on the counter as green peppers, mushrooms and cheese were taken to the blade. 

 

Her arms waved about like a grand orchestra stood at her attention. Just as if Benjamin Zander himself was there the harmony of time and space began.  From out of thin air she pulled a cutting-board.  Six slices of pepper bacon were crumbled into pieces while small pinches of bread crumbs and herbs made the mound of  aromas drift higher. Braised veggies soaked in the smoky maple drippings only adding to the perfection of both smell and memory.  Slivers of turkey were folded in and the mixing bowl dumped its loot into a casserole dish the sauce pan that contained a robust broth of turkey patiently waited to soak the thirty crumbs’ of bread and as I stare at my grandma’s bowl I begin to scamper through my kitchen, to satisfy my need to create another master piece.

© 2011 Cherrie Palmer




Featured Review

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Well I think I need to find my box of kleenex, this is so touching. Just wonderful
Made me think of my grandmother. Grandmothers are angels to us.
They are truly special. Just hope I can be as special to my granddaughter some day.
Love this one, very nice

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.




Reviews

That was a very refreshing story; I hope that you keep up the most fantastic work ever!-JW

Posted 5 Years Ago


Cherrie Palmer

5 Years Ago

Thank you for reviewing my poem. It is on my favorites and I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it.
haha, oh my gosh what a wonderful story! I wish I could taste your master piece I'm sure it came out delicious, just like this write, it had just the right amount of savoriness, seasoning, and love, the most important ingredient.

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

A sweet prose poem.

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


Cherrie - You have created another master piece with this writing. This was beautiful! Anyone that has don any cooking in the kitchen will know of this writing importance.

I could see, feel and smell all that was happening here - Wonderful!

Art

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Very heart warming story! I think your grandma and my mawmaw would've gotten alone perfectly!

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

I didn't know my grandmothers, so I'm envious. My mother, born 1925, cooked a lot like your grandmother, though, so I'm familiar with their kind of simple kitchen culinary magic. A great thing about this story is that you have the bowl. You know the history and value of it and its unique personal link to your grandmother, and so I doubt that there's a better person for it to belong to now.
An after thought--you might have entitled this "The Master's Piece"

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

I love the colours and imagery, crackling aromas and pepper bacon... (which I had never heard of before but sound like one of the best things!) You can almost smell the words off the page.

Thanks for sharing with us.

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

This was a very sweet sentimental piece and I really enjoyed it thank you

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

See that is what I call a family heirloom... cause an true heirloom isn't bout how much it cost, it is the sentiment behind the item.

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

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Ron
"Scallions" what a fantastic olde English word. It is meshed so appropriately in this grand story about the recent, family past. The taste buds roar and the readers feels cosy, happy, content mirroring exactly the feelings of the writer as this item was composed. Some of the foods are quite unknown to us beefy Brits but nevertheless my stomach yearned for them. How this sort of writing needs a book to fit into! Another winner from C.P.

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 13 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.


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Author

Cherrie Palmer
Cherrie Palmer

Oakland, AR



About
I am a published poet and love poetry. I live near the White River, and love trout fishing. I find my surroundings a great inspiration to me. I also have two books on Amazon Kindle: Obsession Starts.. more..

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