[诗歌]Churning Day
A thick crust, coarse-grained as limestone rough-cast,
hardened gradually on top of the four crocks
that stood, large pottery bombs, in the small pantry.
After the hot brewery of gland, cud and udder,
cool porous earthenware fermented the butter milk
for churning day, when the hooped churn was scoured
with plumping kettles and the busy scrubber
echoed daintily on the seasoned wood.
It stood then, purified, on the flagged kitchen floor.
Out came the four crocks, spilled their heavy lip
of cream, their white insides, into the sterile churn.
The staff, like a great whiskey muddler fashioned
in deal wood, was plunged in, the lid fitted.
My mother took first turn, set up rhythms
that, slugged and thumped for hours. Arms ached.
Hands blistered. Cheeks and clothes were spattered
with flabby milk.
Where finally gold flecks
began to dance. They poured hot water then,
sterilized a birchwood bowl
and little corrugated butter-spades.
Their short stroke quickened, suddenly
a yellow curd was weighting the churned-up white,
heavy and rich, coagulated sunlight
that they fished, dripping, in a wide tin strainer,
heaped up like gilded gravel in the bowl.
The house would stink long after churning day,
acrid as a sulphur mine. The empty crocks
were ranged along the wall again, the butter
in soft printed slabs was piled on pantry shelves.
And in the house we moved with gravid ease,
our brains turned crystals full of clean deal churns,
the plash and gurgle of the sour-breathed milk
-
英语散文汇总
改变你生活的三样事物Todayourlivesarechangingfasterthanatanytimeinhistory.Herewereportonthreeimportantchangesthatwillhaveabigimpactonoureverydaylivesinthefuture.今天我们的生活变化得比历史上任何时候都快。月饼的传说OriginalFolkTaleoftheMooncak...
-
[情书]Ludwig von Beethoven
LudwigvanBeethoven(1770-1827),oneofhistory'smostfamousandmysteriouscomposersdiedattheageof57withonegreatsecret.Uponhisdeath,aloveletterwasfoundamonghispossessions.ItwaswrittentoanunknownwomanwhoBeethovensimplycalledhis*ImmortalBeloved.*The...
-
母亲的心情记录
IhadjustreturnedfromanincometaxauditwiththeInternalRevenueService,whicheveryoneagreesisaspleasantasabadsessioninthedentist'schair.Theaudithadgonewell,butIwasrelieveditwasover.TocelebrateIboughtanicecreamconeandsatinmycartoreadaletterfrommy...
-
每一个女人都漂亮
Alittleboyaskedhismother"Whyareyoucrying?”一个男孩问他的妈妈:“你为什么要哭呢?”"BecauseI'mawoman,”shetoldhim.妈妈说:“因为我是女人啊。”"Idon'tunderstand,”hesaid男孩说:“我不懂。”Hismumjusthuggedhimandsaid,"Andyouneverwill”他妈妈抱...
相关文章
- [英语诗歌]-working on the railroad
- Money Cant Buy Happiness. Er, Can It?
- Churning Day
- Saying Good-bye to Cambridge Again 再别康桥
- 励志英语文章:The prime condition great secrets of success
- Whats lacking in our education?
- 英语民间故事:Prince Ivan and Grey Wolf
- O sing, fair lady, when with me
- [诗歌] If I Could Catch a Rainbow
- 英文情感故事:Working Christmas Day