Thursday, January 26, 2023

Nutty Bites


Strawberry

popcorn in winter,

nutty bites

urban gardeners

give to themselves.


This thinner tanka was supposed to be a senryu, which read:

 strawberry
popcorn in winter
--
nutty bites
!

 

But the lines, “urban gardeners / grow for themselves” came to mind, and the first version of the offered thinner tanka popped out of my skull:

 Strawberry
popcorn in winter,
nutty treats
urban gardeners
grow for themselves.

 

Then, I remembered how much the original senryu made me grin (there is something about “nutty bites” sounding like “naughty bites” that my eternally juvenile sense of humor just couldn’t resist). So, I had to slide the “nutty” into the tanka. And, as I was doing it, the image of urban gardeners biting themselves (no idea why) spilled out my fingertips and typed this (as I giggled—all right, cackled—like a delighted maniac):

Strawberry
popcorn in winter,
nutty bites
urban gardeners
give to themselves.



- wondering about the corn? Well, this is the strawberry popcorn I planted last spring and harvested in autumn. Popcorn has never tasted so nuttily good and no kernel has looked so prettily crimson. Yep, I’m totally growing more this year.

- so, I was going to start this post with a definition of “nutty”, since I didn’t want you to think of madness. Then the dictionary suggested: “Nutty (adj.) as in tasting like nuts.” And I just lost it so completely to laughter, that I figured the clarification would cause even more confusion. Still, the nutty bit was too hysterical not to share.

- for Poets and Storyteller United--Friday Writings #61: Such Inspiring Titles, where an extremely good-looking writer asks fellow writers to create poetry or prose inspired by the title of the first book they read, are reading, or will read in 2023. The first book I read this year was Urban Botanics: An Indoor Plant Guide for Modern Gardeners, written by Emma Sibley and gorgeously illustrated by Maaike Koster.


13 comments:

  1. Those kernels really look pretty... so cool to grow it in your balcony...now why was I expecting red popcorn :)

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  2. I'm glad you can grow your own. I love popcorn but my colonoscopy doctor says no, no, don't eat it, nuts, seeds, and other crispy foods that don't digest. I have three books home from the library but haven't read any of them, "The Last King of Texas" (we were a country who won their independence from Mexico before joining the Union), "The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World", and "Ancient History from the First Civilization to the Renaissance." I had been reading from the 1980's "Mark Twain's original reports from Europe and the Holy Land". I had to turn the book in when I restirred from the school in 2001 but in February, 2013, I was able to purchase one in good condition for 50c plus postage for a total of $4.41 on eBay.
    https://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-ebay-bargain-six-word-saturday.html
    ..

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  3. I was expecting red popcorn too. Also that it should taste like strawberries. But how fascinating that strawberry popcorn exists at all!
    I suspect most people will miss or politely ignore what you do suggest about the taste – but I, of course, am not very polite.

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  4. I've lived far too long to not have heard of strawberry popcorn so am delighted to finally be clued in … and quite deliciously with poetry.

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  5. I've never heard of strawberry popcorn! It looks awesome and so impressive that you grew some yourself on your balcony!

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  6. Classic pics Magaly! Artistically presented. Hank is more familiar with maize popcorns though. Thanks for sharing unusual items

    Hank

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  7. I enjoyed reading your thought and writing process here! I have strawberry corn seeds to plant this spring. I hope it does as well as yours. It's a just for fun crop.

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  8. This peek into your process was very cool--as well as highly entertaining!

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  9. Love the photos, Magaly! I had no idea you could grow strawberry popcorn, amazing! And I enjoyed how you played around with your senryu :-)

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  10. Wow! I am so impressed with you growing strawberry popcorn. I have never heard of this. I hope you are feeling well. Thank you for your well wishes to me too.

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  11. Lovely photographs you've shared.
    I hope you've had a good weekend, my good wishes for the new week ahead.

    All the best Jan
    https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

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  12. I am impressed with this, Magaly. I'm glad you showed the photos.
    I did picture red popcorn tasting like strawberries.
    Love you sense of humor!

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  13. They are so pretty! What does strawberry popcorn need to grow? I was going to cut back on balcony plants, but I haven't told the guy yet, so there are no hopes I could crush. ^^

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