September's Soul-Storm

This is the kind of poem I cannot rush...

September’s tent is gray then blue and apple-dappled, where

Pungent scents of surrender’s hues hang heavy on the air....

As evidence of summer’s curtain close intensifies

In blush of sedum’s dusty rose...

 and rush of butterflies...

In rusty-singed zinnia-rainbows,

... in tardier sunrise

Goldenrod tapers flicker, undaunted by fits of rain...

And footsteps start to hurry through dawn’s barely-parted gates

Tomato-plum-pear flurry fills jars, crocks, pots, pans and plates...

(a few recipes below)

*Glug-glug-blip-blop, the steaming canning-kettle seems to say...

Frost-flavoured innuendos start to infiltrate green glade

As cricket-song crescendos in an ardent serenade

A vibrato that ebbs and flows into a subtle fade...

September’s tent is gray then blue and apple-dappled, where

Pungent scents of surrender’s hues hang heavy on the air

As evidence of summer’s curtain close intensifies

In blush of sedum’s dusty rose and rush of butterflies

In rusty-singed zinnia-rainbows, in tardier sunrise

September’s bliss is bittersweet, aster-embellished grief

Happiness and heartache compete, bloom-beauty is so brief

Frost-flavoured innuendos start to infiltrate green glade

As cricket-song crescendos in an ardent serenade

A vibrato that ebbs and flows into a subtle fade

Goldenrod tapers flicker, undaunted by fits of rain

Birdfeeder patrons bicker over dinner-bits of grain

While squirrels dart and scurry and harvest-hum escalates

And footsteps start to hurry through dawn’s barely-parted gates

Tomato-plum-pear flurry fills jars, crocks, pots, pans and plates

September authors sorrows joy is privileged to bear

Futile to suffer morrow’s unaccomplished weight of care

While dahlias beam, and cornfields gleam and backroad haunts beguile

While summer’s remnant hours stream beneath noon’s sky wide smile

And flower-bowers beckon dreamers to loiter awhile

Glug-glug-blip-blop, the steaming canning-kettle seems to say

Too busy to stop for too long to dream the day away

Though it would be a terrible pity to never pause

To be a duty-rebel and revel in Now because

The tree the breeze dishevels will soon wear the leaf that was

September seems to keenly whet time’s teeming undertow

With destinies that we forget while lost in June’s hello

A cello I cannot quite see is playing Fur Elise

A green and yellow melody of love’s fond agonies

Rolls, nay tolls from a welkin belfry through fields and hills and trees

September is a poem that the poet cannot rush

It feels a bit like coming home, a Voice that whispers 'hush'

Yet kindles in the bosom a war-cry nobody hears

A medley culled from blossoms felled and held in yesteryears

An arch that leads to autumn, through which summer disappears

© Janet Martin

due to a bumper crop of summer squash  and an

almost tomato-crop failure

 someone suggested trying zucchini salsa, so I did!

it's delicious!!

(I used yellow and green squash and seems to have worked)

If you like sweet heat you might want to try this!

Zucchini Salsa

INGREDIENTS

10cups zucchini, peeled & shredded

4onions, chopped

2green peppers, chopped

2red peppers, chopped

1⁄4cup pickling salt

1tablespoon pickling salt

2tablespoons dry mustard

1tablespoon garlic powder

1tablespoon cumin

2cups white vinegar

1cup brown sugar

2tablespoons red pepper flakes

1teaspoon nutmeg

1teaspoon pepper

5cups chopped ripe tomatoes

2tablespoons cornstarch

12ounces tomato paste

Method:

Day one:

In a large bowl combine; 

Zucchini, onions, green pepper, red pepper and the salt 

Mix together cover and let stand over night.

Day two.

Next day rinse, drain well and put into a large pot then add

 mustard, garlic, cumin, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper flakes, salt,

cornstarch, nutmeg, pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, 

tomatoes and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Water bath jars for 15 minutes.

***

Now dessert!

recipe two;

Pear-Plum Crisp

Wash, peel, (optional) pare, pit,

approx. 7 cups fruit into baking pan. I used 8X12 pyrex pan.

mix 1/2 cup sugar

2 TBSP flour

1/2 teas. cinnamon 

1/4 teas. each of cloves, nutmeg and ginger

Toss with fruit

and top with 

Topping

Mix 1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup br. sugar

then blend in 1/3 cup soft butter

top and bake at 350F till bubbly and golden, approx. 30 min.

(after sampling the unbaked version I feel safe to say-it's scrumptious!)

while dahlias beam...