Ochota Bazaar

Warsaw is split into districts...each has its own open market still :)

Mismatched colors like a parrot

Screechy rustic dialects

Swishing skirts and impatient gestures

The art of bartering cannot be bought

Touching and tasting produce is a must

Into a sea of seekers I am thrust

A little Grandmother in kerchief bundled

Has wild mushrooms highly sought

But for a price to twist your britches

And unhinge your hinges

A diminutive Russian tries to sell poorly soldered kettles

I admire his mettle

The energy with which he lies

Praising his kettles (aluminum no doubt) to the skies

The mountain people sell their sheep skins and sheep's cheese

An antique salesman has USSR relics

That's not my taste, if you please

Red apples, green apples

Exotic pineapples

Pineapples? Mangoes? Quixotic!

I'm hunting for red currants and sour cherries

Apricots and plump gooseberries

I desire a fat Polish cabbage to make a tasty soup

I take an alternate route

A long, exaggerated loop

To find myself near the flower women

Orchids, cacti, these they guard and others unknown

I'll take a two zlotys bunch of wildflowers homegrown

Wildflowers are sweeter

Whatever you seek for, remember...

Everyone's potentially a polite cheater

If you are not shrewd

But that is part of the game, part of the bazaar mood

 

 

Author's Note

Ochota is the name of the district...it means desire :) Our part is Stara Ochota or Old Desire :) I always thought that that was pretty :)

Reviews

[E.H. Monroe]

This is the world of a mind full of deep old wisdom. A poem not of the age and mind set. You're beyond the simple ideas of the rancid generation based in text talk.
This thing had more senses than an old country kicthen. And the images presented shows that you cought EVERY living thing in a snap shot of seconds.
Even to the breakdown of a kettle.
This was the Englishtown flea market with style, class and real antiques.

Amazing read

[Grace Catherine C.]

This is a fun poem, lots of colorful imagery, the title caught my attention, great work!

[Tim]

Great descriptions and images. I like the way the rhymes weren't predictable. Nice writing.

[Tony]

You deliver a wealth of taste imagery and visuals for a glimpse into this bazaar world. Especially liked the line where the character turns down the imported food for the locally grown food-- it adds depth or realness to the narration. Now I'd like to try some of that soup my own self.

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

dear one~ you transported my back to the days of the Piac(bazaar/market)~ though in another country~ the flavor of the market is the same across all cultures~
rich and beautifully detailed with imagery that opens itself up to busy sounds and busy colors and life in fluid prisms~

[Robin]

this was fun to read , you captured the energy of the people and the special ingredients that enliven the open market .