This is an improv of David Bottom's “My Old Man Love Fried Okra”.
My Mom and Her Porkchops
My mom loves porkchops.
The way they soak up the seasonings,
Salt, pepper, and a hint of garlic.
The way the flour sticks to every edge
Creating the perfect crunch,
Especially on the fatty parts.
The way it sizzles when it hits the pan.
But when she was diagnosed,
They became bland, and bitter.
Their smell making bile
Rise in her throat.
She scratched porkchops
From the monthly shopping list.
Five months later
I could hear the pan sizzling
From my room.
My nose twitched at the
Unfamiliar smell.
And then I recognized it.
My mom was frying porkchops.
First off, this is an amazing Improv draft! As i was reading i could taste the pork chops. The imagery is so well done in this piece. I love the story of the mother cooking, getting sick and then getting her taste buds back and cooking again. It is such a powerful shift, and as a reader you really start to get connected with the mother and her cooking. All in all a wonderful piece.
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