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Listen to Ellen reciting poetry.
Jam Today
“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today.” White Queen to Alice, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll.
Last season’s
peach and gooseberry
sweet-tart on the tongue
spread on toast, muffins,
bagel with raisins
and cinnamon –
spice of the sabbath
now her body is jamming
itself, cells stuck and clogged
blocking the vital
spring again
flowers jam in the garden,
jazz musicians gone wild,
cacophony of tulips
trill of daffodil
violin tones of violets
and weeping redbud,
one gooseberry bush
bursting into flower
soft fruit
longing
to be picked.
Ellen S. Jaffe, 2016
for Sharon H. Nelson (2 January 1948 – 12 June 2016)
published in Persimmon Tree, Summer 2017
http://www.persimmontree.org/v2/summer-2017/international-poets/-
Recent Posts
- Written on the Body, #16: February 1, 2020: Lunar New Year and other anniversaries
- Written on the Body, #15: January 12, 2020 — Welcome to the New Decade
- Written on the Body #14, December 15, 2019: Looking toward the Light
- Written On the Body 13, Nov. 24, 2019: Beautiful British Columbia
- Written On the Body #12, October 24, 2019: After a Break
Recent Comments
- Suzanne Foreman on Written on the Body, #15: January 12, 2020 — Welcome to the New Decade
- Carol Goff on Written On the Body 13, Nov. 24, 2019: Beautiful British Columbia
- Dr. Irene Pruitt Little on Written On the Body. June 5, 2019. “We’re All Improvising…”
- Prairie on Written On the Body 13, Nov. 24, 2019: Beautiful British Columbia
- Pat L. on Written on the Body #11, October 6, 2019: L’Shana Tova, the New Year
Author Archives: Ellen
Written on the Body, #16: February 1, 2020: Lunar New Year and other anniversaries
We have just had the Lunar New Year celebration — clouded this year by the new Corona virus in China and spreading throughout the world — moving from the Year of the Pig to the Year of the Rat. I … continue reading
Written on the Body, #15: January 12, 2020 — Welcome to the New Decade
Welcome to 2020. A friend said this year makes her think of 20/20 eyesight — so may this be a year, and a decade, of clear thinking and deepening, widening perception.
January is named for the Roman god Janus, who … continue reading
Written on the Body #14, December 15, 2019: Looking toward the Light
We’re a week away from the shortest day and the longest night in the year, the Winter Solstice (aka St. Lucy’s Day). Since returning from British Columbia in November, I’ve felt the increasing darkness in late afternoon and the increasing … continue reading
Written On the Body 13, Nov. 24, 2019: Beautiful British Columbia
We had a wonderful trip to Vancouver and Vancouver Island, Nov. 2-10 — beautiful, mostly sunny weather, too. This was an important trip, mainly to see close family and friends, but also to see if and how well I could … continue reading
Written On the Body #12, October 24, 2019: After a Break
The sun is starting to shine after a cloudy early-morning, and today I go back on chemotherapy after a four-week break to let my white blood cells (especially the neutrophils) replenish themselves. The doctor says it is normal for the … continue reading
Written on the Body #11, October 6, 2019: L’Shana Tova, the New Year
This is the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (these holidays occur at different times in the regular calendar, sometime between early September and early October, but always on the same … continue reading
Written On the Body, September 8, 2019: “The Good Patient”
It is now one year plus one week that I moved to Toronto — a decision I have never regretted, and still feel good about. It is wonderful to have caring support in this illness — and also to enjoy … continue reading
Written On the Body — August 24, 2019: “Both…And…”
Here we are, in the last half of August. The nights are turning cooler, sunset comes earlier, and there is a bit of “pre-autumn” feeling in the air, even on sunny days. I realised recently that I have passed the … continue reading
Written on the Body — Goldilocks: August 1, 2019
Here it is, August 1 already. Sun is shining (here in Toronto), leaves are green and flowers thriving as we’ve had a lot of rain. I am on the next round of chemo, after a two-week break for R&R (from … continue reading
Written On the Body: Good News, and Thought on Private and Public Information
This is the week between chemo treatments, though the side-effects are persisting a bit. I have, however, had good results from a CT scan — no new lesions in my liver, nor in any other part of my body, and … continue reading