A Cornucopia of Thanks for Finding Lost Items

November–A Month of Thanksgiving

Part 4.  A Cornucopia of Thanks for Finding Lost Items

by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

                On this Thanksgiving Eve of 2021, like many of you, I am counting my blessings and smiling from my altitude of gratitude.  Having somehow managed to move three times in the past seventeen months, I am totally grateful that all of this moving was officially over on October 7; my Leader Dog Willow and I are delighted to be back, amazingly, to where we began and where I had previously lived for twenty-three years and on the block where I have lived for a total of three decades.  Through these moves, I, despite my efforts to be organized, have lost track of a few items; however, the good news is that in this moving process, I have managed to find some lost items.  Re-uniting with previously lost items has made my list for the fourth cornucopia of thanks for this November.  One item that I found recently was a copy of a Thanksgiving poem which I had written almost thirty years ago.  A few years ago, I tried to reconstruct the poem because I did recall the initial several lines and the ending; then, I crafted a new middle for the part I could not remember.  However, I was never quite satisfied with the reconstructed poem–version two of the piece.  Tonight I am sharing with you the original (“found”) version of the poem–with a couple of newly added lines and a minor revision, of course.  Yes, a poem is never written in cement!  For me, a poem is forever a work-in-progress.

                On November 8, I was happy to present this poem at the Readers’ Workshop which I attend monthly.  Yesterday, I enjoyed hearing the laughter of friends as I read it from braille at my weekly braille group.  Now, on this Thanksgiving Eve or on Thanksgiving Day, I hope that you will enjoy the humor of the following poem because we all need to laugh a little this Thanksgiving.

* * *

Toby Tobias, Turkey Extraordinaire

poem by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

Toby Tobias, turkey extraordinaire,

Wanted to fly

Like an eagle in the air.

“Toby, dear Toby,

You ought to want to be you.”

“But, flying like an eagle is

what I want to do.”

“Toby, dear Toby,

Eagles perch high;

Their soaring is graceful,

But close to the sky.”

“Old Ben Franklin wanted to declare me

The national bird.

Now, on this Thanksgiving Day, my destiny is

Totally absurd!”

“Toby, my friend,

You are an American tradition!”

“Yes, but on November 25,

Who wants to be in my position?

Naturally, I want to be proclaimed

A protected status–

Just like the eagle.

My thoughtful theory is:

Turkey on a plate should be

Illegal!

For this Thanksgiving,

My plan is to fly;

And let everyone else eat

Sweet potato pie!”

* * *

Family History Note:  Thanksgiving Day of 2021 will mark the 107^th anniversary of my mother’s birth.  Years after the times that my extended family celebrated Thanksgiving at my Aunt Zita’s restaurant, my parents and I celebrated at least a couple of times Mother’s Thanksgiving birthday with a beautifully decorated cake from the IGA Bakery.  Of course, the frosting atop the cake was in the design of a turkey; and the colorful, sweet script read:  “Happy Birthday, Mother.” 

On this Thanksgiving, I hope you will gather, via recording of whatever type, some family stories from your more senior relatives.  Also, enjoy some pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie!

With many thanks to my WORDWALK readers,

Best Wishes  for a very happy, healthy, and blessed Thanksgiving Day and weekend!

Alice and Leader Dog Willow

November 24, 2021, Wednesday

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