New Potatoes
The
new potatoes are rough and shaggy,
Bearded with dirt, mountain men,
Or 49ers, surely. But when I wash them
They scrub up rosy, like
round-cheeked
Debutantes, a hint of white flesh
Peeking out from
their flimsy jackets.
— Lola Lucas
Lola Lucas is a research economist with the Illinois
Department of Employment. Her first book, At Home in the Park, a collection of
columns that originally appeared in the Enos Park Banner, will be published this year.
People’s Poetry accepts poems on any subject,
but ones that deal with issues of local interest are encouraged. Send yours
to Books and Poetry Editor Corrine Frisch c/o Illinois
Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705, or
to cfrisch@illinoistimes.com with “People’s Poetry” in
the subject line.
This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2005.
