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Blue cheese and old pickles

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Blue Cheese and old Pickles Contest Sponsored by Craig Cornish. 03/23/25

The poem is autobiographical in places - my mother had 2 maiden aunts Hilda and Daisy - Hilda would go around with a duster wherever our little fingers had touched especially on the banister to go up to use the toilet and they were both very intolerant and children really were seen and not heard ! No hand held computers/ games in those days so our visits were often quite short!

 

I shudder while peering at sepia photographs, showing visits to my maiden Aunt Hilda’s house. Even though I was very young it was clear she didn’t tolerate children. I was to be ‘Seen and not heard.’ Pa said I wasn’t to utter a word. I loathed being pushed and forced to kiss her. Aunt's wrinkled leathery skin looked like she’d been pickled in vinegar. As she waddled around with a damp duster, wiping at my finger marks that only she could see, the wooden floorboards creaked like old bones for she was grossly overweight. Her buxom breasts smelled awful and emitted a musty, moldy, cheesy smell. Stretchy tan tights were never able to camouflage the vivid blue bulging varicose veins which snaked from her calves to her fat ankles. The old sour puss passed away when I was six Now, as I reminisce, I will no longer remain silent!

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 4/17/2025 9:49:00 PM
Great descriptive vocabulary in this poem, Jan; it makes the narrative come alive. / Maurice
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Date: 4/3/2025 1:05:00 PM
Not a pleasant memory or childhood experience. Seems like your aunt valued keeping house over the joy of family. She certainly missed out on a very precious relationship! So sad! I am very happy that you decided to share your experience. Your images are vibrant and relate so well to the contest theme -"pickled," "sour," "moldy!" Wonderfully crafted my friend! Congratulations on your win! Hugs and blessings!
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Date: 4/3/2025 4:11:00 AM
Congratulations on your win dear poet. Cheers!!!
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Date: 4/1/2025 9:37:00 AM
Jan, I've read several poems for this contest and yours seems the most memorable. I'm glad you had a chance to tell this story here since keeping it under wraps could affect you in a bad way!! Really good to reflect on bad sometimes! Smiles!!
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Date: 3/26/2025 12:49:00 PM
Hi Jan, thank God you survived too tell the tale,I wonder what aunt Hilda would think of your poetry books.
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Jan Allison
Date: 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM
ha ha ha John gee it would have been a bad combination maiden aunt reading and all my bawdy poems about boobies and todgers and farting and other stuff - she would have had palpitations , had a heart attack and popped her clogs ! hugs Jan xx
Date: 3/24/2025 11:20:00 PM
Wow Jan. This me be your best work ever in narrative or free verse style. Sure hope you get a win. Mine was vaguely like yours but not nearly as good.
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Jan Allison
Date: 3/26/2025 12:18:00 PM
wow thanks for that awesome comment Andrea, i have come a long way since i joined as a total novice to soup, thanks for being part of my continued journey:-) hugs Jan xx
Date: 3/24/2025 2:02:00 PM
You are a great writer and poet! hugs.
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Jan Allison
Date: 3/26/2025 12:18:00 PM
aww thanks so much Abdulla, you have made my day more than you can ever know! hugs jan xx
Date: 3/24/2025 2:31:00 AM
Yikes, I bet you still nightmares Jan, they forget that they were once kids. Tom
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Jan Allison
Date: 3/26/2025 12:17:00 PM
Its stuck with me all these years Tom, great to get it in a poem with a little poetic licence too! hugs Jan xx
Date: 3/23/2025 2:08:00 PM
that sounds like an awful experience for a child to go through, jan, and i'm glad you finally have the chance to tell it like it was! from your description, i'm glad i never got to meet her or anyone quite like that...
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Jan Allison
Date: 3/23/2025 2:43:00 PM
I wish I had had a grandma or granddad - i had a step step grandma and none of the family got on with grandad so we seldom saw them - he too was very intolerant, as for Hilda and daisy they were spinsters and not used to children so we rarely visited! there is some poetic licence but also truth. :-) hugs Jan xx
Date: 3/23/2025 12:44:00 PM
- Vividly described ... almost like I can feel and smell this grumpy old lady ... I understand well that you have never forgotten her :))) - Love it, a top winning poem ... I'm sure :) - hugs
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Jan Allison
Date: 3/23/2025 2:06:00 PM
thanks Anne-Lise, some is poetic licence some of it is true - we seldom visited they lived miles from us and you can imagine it wasn't a pleasant experience. hugs jan xx

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