2020: reflections, bird haiku, another poem, & recipes by maryann neblock.

 

MaryAnn Neblock shares reflectively here—

I feel older in the age of COVID and Trump than my chronological years. I love my husband of 44 years and my 2 adult children. My husband has been my caregiver and strength and helps me through my complicated life and extensive medical history. My family is my lifeline, my foundation. Crohn’s Disease has ravaged most of my adult life, but I try very hard not to measure everything else against it. I’m new to writing poetry and haiku, and it’s offered me some catharsis. My poem "Un•Whole•Y•Ness" was written in a Prednisone-induced bout of insomnia after my Dad passed away in 2017. Bird haiku came about from enjoying seeing birds outside of my house, where we feed them and offer a birdbath to drink and splash around. Cooking is my passion and refuge, and I’ve been preparing food for family since I was 9 years old. Recently, I’ve been photographing my creations and formatting original recipes to share with friends, family, and the recipe index on Kimberton Whole Foods' website. Last year, my husband and I were able to share our love of music and sang at Frank’s 2019 celebration of life at Steel City Coffeehouse. I hope we can honor him again that way in 2021.

The current environment in our country would have been very difficult for a tortured soul; it’s exceedingly difficult for most of us. Rest in peace, Frank. We honor you and your life on this day and beyond.

 

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In 2019, Berks Bards celebrated 21 years as a local poetry-promoting nonprofit in Berks County. MaryAnn served as the featured poet as a bird haiku writer during the celebratory get-together during April as National Poetry Month at Brandywine Branch Distillery & Bistro, in Chester County, not far from the border of Berks County. This video showcases MaryAnn's bird poems she read for the event.

Below is one of her bird haiku samplings, from the video.

 

CROW

Shiny black feathers
You “caw” to me while in flight
Heaven’s wings aloft 

  

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In 2017, MaryAnn wrote a poem about her experience with Crohn's Disease and its impacts on her body in daily life. It is the poem below, which was later published in a newsletter through The Oley Foundation based in Delmar, New York.

Un•Whole•Y•Ness

I lie awake in bed at night
Hoping to fall asleep
To dream..to be whole
The soft whir of the pump
ka-chunk     ka-chunk
Moving liquid nutrients into my heart
And eventually into what’s left of my gut

How did I become this creature?
This artificial being in body
While still real and whole in mind and soul

How can the body fail so as to betray
the spirit that drives me?
And how do I go on from here
To fulfill my purpose with such distraction?

Tomorrow is another day
To push through the daily rituals
Until the whir of the pump once again
Lulls me to sleep..and I become whole

 

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And here are some of MaryAnn’s delicious-as-a-curse-word recipes published through Kimberton Whole Foods—

Unstuffed Peppers
Vietnamese Soup AKA canh chua or cá nấu
Navy Bean Soup 

Ricotta Frittata
Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Mint Sauce
Southwestern Style Lentil Vegetable Soup