The
Tookany Review
Vol. IV
Winter 2008
Poetry written by Cheltenham Township Adult School Workshop Participants
Cheltenham, PA
In this issue
Edited by Deborah Fries
cover image by
E. Twan Crawford
Linda Barrett
One poem
To Two Nonnas
We can't afford to go to Italy
So you both bring it to us.
We hear in the music of your names,
each syllable coming from your mouths,
vocal chords and tongues
doing fast Italian tarantellas
from your shared cubicle.
You both should have been sisters
Born on the same month
Sailing into America
on the same ship.
You bring us Italy
through your cooking:
olive oil drenched cole slaw
made zesty with ground pepper and salt
amaretto cookies placed on our desks
deep fried calamari rings
at the Willow Grove Bennigan's
and Italian restaurants
in a Maple Glen shopping center.
You both embrace us
with still strong Nonna arms
and crochet bright pink baby clothes
for expecting employees.
On the weekends,
you become bocce ball champs
in Montgomery County
where Italian is still spoken,
keeping up the old country's heritage.
This poem comes out
from our love to you
because just by being our friends
we want to save all our pennies
to see what Italy is really like.
©2007 Linda Barrett
Linda Barrett has always had a passion for writing. She has been published in other online journals, in church newsletters and on t-shirts for friends and loved ones. Ms. Barrett lives in Abington, PA. with her mother, as she has done for f43 years. She continues to write while looking for a new career direction.
At
this time, The Tookany Review is accepting only the work of
writers who are enrolled
or have been enrolled in
Cheltenham Adult School
writing workshops.
For
more information about writing workshops offered by
the Cheltenham Township Adult School, contact:
Cheltenham Township Adult
School
1414 Panther Road
Wyncote, PA 19095
Phone: 215-887-1720