Today was my second Poetry Pop-Up Shop & they’re so fun, I may keep doing them even when I’m done raising money for Tupelo Press.
I was at the Spring Green General Store today & wrote an ode. It really has been a special place over the years, and it’s one of the main places people know about if they know about Spring Green:
AN ODE TO THE SPRING GREEN GENERAL STORE
Early spring, the flower boxes have funky tulip whirligigs,
birch branches and metal insects on sticks, but soon enough
the plantings will stretch up, spill over, glow
in the afternoon sun. When people ask directions
I tell them it’s the only giant blue building on Albany Street,
“You can’t miss it.” And really, you shouldn’t.
There’s a chocolate therapy bar that fulfills its promise
but also a chocolate chip cookie bar I love even more.
My favorite pants I ever had I bought there: linen crepe,
black, palazzo. Too many amazing shirts to list.
They made a set of directions for the burrito that was safe
for my son to eat (so many food allergies!) and posted it
several places and this gets at the best reason to go—
not just food and clothes and jewelry and toys and
honestly the best dish towels you ever saw in your life,
it’s a place you can go for company, for community, for care.
I’d love it if you wanted to make a donation to Tupelo as a way to support a good press, to celebrate National Poetry Month, to pat me on the back, to just say, “hey, I really liked this one.” AND there are thank-you gifts! Click here to donate.
marniere 