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Best Poems Written by Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Below are the all-time best Patricia Neely-Dorsey poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Steel Magnolia

(STEEL) MAGNOLIA
 Breathtaking,
 Delicate beauty
 Of Creamy Perfection
 With Roots Running Deep
 In Southern Soil,
 A history almost
 As old as time,
 And endurance
 As tough as
 Steel;
 She defies description
 And explanation
 But...
 Beauty is its own excuse
 2012 Patricia Neely-Dorsey 
 from My Magnolia Memories and Musings -In Poems


#southern #southernpoems #steelmagnolia

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Hog Killing Time

HOG KILLING TIME 
 There's a chill in the air
 And holidays are near,
 Thanksgiving's just 'round the bend;
 There's a feeling amongst country folks 
 That's absolute prime,
 Everyone senses it's hog killing time.
 Oh what a spectacle!
 Oh what a show!
 You'll find nothing like it,
 If you look high and low.
 From sunup to sundown,
 It lasts the whole day;
 And once it gets started,
 Horses couldn't pull you away.
 Everyone has his own part to do,
 With all the commotion,
 It feels like a zoo.
 The poor victim for this occasion
 Has long been picked out,
 And soon will become food,
 From his tail to his snout.
 There's a shot and a squeal
 And he's out for the count;
 A cut of the throat, 
 And blood spews like a fount.
 In a barrel of hot water,
 He's cleaned and de-haired;
 Amongst all the men,
 This giant task is shared. 
 A skillful knife separates all parts of meat,
 Including pig ears, pig tail, land pig feet.
 The women's task is always chittlin's to make.
 There's a boatload of goo and muck
 They must rake.
 When night time falls,
 All surround the black pot;
 Where the oil is bubbling,
 And boy is it hot!
 Pieces of skin are stirred with a surge,
 And after some time,
 Crisp cracklings emerge.
 Sweet potatoes are roasted, 
 Right in the fire;
 And of these simple treats,
 No one ever does tire.
 When it's all finally over ,
 And the day is all done;
 The grown-ups are weary,
 But the kids just had fun.

 Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
 from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia
#southern #southernlife #southernfood #southernculture #southernfoodpoems #countrylife

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Southern Life

SOUTHERN LIFE
 If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
 Come close and walk with me;
 I'll tell you all the simple things,
 That you are sure to see.
 You'll see mockingbirds and bumblebees,
 Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees,
 Caterpillars on the step,
 Wooden porches cleanly swept;
 Watermelons on the vine,
 Strong majestic Georgia pines;
 Rocking chairs and front yard swings,
 June bugs flying on a string;
 Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
 Coleslaw and barbecue;
 Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes,
 Fried pies and pickles, too.
 There's ice cold tea that's syrupy sweet,
 And cool, green grass beneath your feet;
 Catfish nipping in the lake,
 And fresh young boys on the make.
 You'll see all these things
 And much, much more,
 In a way of life, that I adore.
 Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey 
 from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia - A Life in Poems
 #southern #southernpoems

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Backroads

BACKROADS
 Rocky,
 Dusty,
 Bumpy,
 Curving,
 Twisting,
 Turning
 Tree-Canopied pathways;
 The Short cut
 The Scenic Route
 Or the long way home.
 2012 Patricia Neely-Dorsey 
 from My Magnolia Memories and Musings in Poems
#country #countrylife #countrylifepoems #southernpoems

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Meet My Mississippi

MEET MY MISSISSIPPI
 Faulkner's Sanctuary
 Eudora's home state
 Elvis' birthplace
 The bulk of the Trace;
 Sprawling beaches
 Along the Gulf Coast shore
 One blues man's crossroads
 And inspiration for more;
 An abundance of history
 Tradition and folklore
 Warm front porch welcomes
 With a wide open door;
 A ride down the mighty river
 On the American Queen
 And some of the most
 Beautiful countryside
 That you've ever seen
 She's music and melodies
 And the mockingbird's songs,
 By valor and arms
 And faith ever strong;
 She's magnolias blooming
 Around Jackson's capitol dome
 And the sweet scent of honeysuckle
 That forever says "home"
 She's My Mississippi
 She's hospitality's face
 Roll On Mississippi
 You're a true State of Grace
 2013 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
#Mississippi #mississippipoems

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You Ain'T Country

YOU AIN'T COUNTRY
 If you've never...
 Swept the front yard (No, not the porch but the yard),
 Played under the porch (Yes, under)
 Intentionally eaten dirt
 (Not just any dirt, mind you, that good ole
 red clay kind)
 Gone barefoot outside...all day
 And seen old car tires used as
 Flower planters and yard decorations and swings...
 You ain't country.
 If you’ve never...
“Sopped” syrup or gravy with a biscuit
 Shelled the peas for your supper or
 Drank coffee from the saucer
 You ain’t country
 If you don't know what a truck patch is
 Or about the grease can on top of the stove
 Or that canning vegetables does NOT involve a can...
 You ain't country.
 If you've never used a mason jar as a drinking glass
 Or to eat milk and bread from
 Or to catch fireflies in..
 Or to cut out homemade biscuits with
 You ain't country.
 And, if you're not shaking your head in agreement
 And smiling a bit as you remember....
 I know for sure
 You ain't country 
 2012 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
#country #countrylife

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Baptismal Sunday

BAPTISMAL SUNDAY
 Sometimes in the country church,
 When they had no baptismal pool,
 Baptizing in a neighbor's pond,
 Was oftentimes the rule.
 They'd gather all the candidates,
 From all the months gone by,
 Those who'd made the sacred vow,
 To their old lives they would die.
 The ones who were to be submerged
 Wore white robes and white caps,
 They'd march up to the water's edge,
 Some quite afraid , perhaps.
 Prayers were said and hymns were sung,
 And the preacher waded deep,
 He'd call them in, one by one,
 To take that faithful leap.
 He'd raise his hand and say the words
 "Father, Son and Holy Ghost "
 Then dipped them in and raised them up,
 Witnessed by the crowded host.
 There'd be someone who would send up praise,
 And someone who would shout,
 And ,almost ,predictably,
 Someone would fall out.
 They'd fan the ones who'd "felt the touch"
 And greet the new converts,
 Then make their way back up the road ,
 To the country church .

 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey 
 from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life In Poems
#country #countrylife #countrypoems #bapstismpoem #countrychurch  
#southernlife
#southernpoems

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Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI
 In the heart of Dixie,
 Perfumed by
 The sweet, fragrant smell of magnolias
 and serenaded with
 The melodious songs of the mockingbird,
 Lies a true Queen of the South.
 Her name is Mississippi .
 I don’t know how to explain this place,
 Except to say that she “speaks” to me.
 The rocks, the flowers, the birds and trees
 Speak to me.
 They sometimes whisper,
 And sometimes they shout;
 But always they say,
“This is where you belong.”
2012 Patricia Neely-Dorsey 
from My Magnolia Memories and musings - In Poems 
#Mississippi #mississippipoems

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Soul Food Restaurant

SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT
 When you visit your favorite soul food spot,
 Along with your faithful friends,
 What you'll eat any given day,
 On your tastes it all depends.
 The selections are quite varied
 And the menu might read like this:
 For breakfast Country Ham and Eggs,
 With biscuits and cheese grits,
 For Lunch : Neckbones, Catfish, 
 Smothered Chicken,
 Pork Chops and Pigs Feet.
 Everything looks so delicious,
 And these are just the meats.
 The vegetables you might enjoy,
 include greens, squash, and black-eyed peas;
 Or you might want fried corn and pinto beans,
 Along with macaroni and cheese.
 What ever it is that you decide,
 It's sure to hit the spot,
 It'll come to your booth,
 Fresh and piping hot.
 Be prepared to sit a spell,
 Cause you won't want to move;
 For you will have dined most sumptuously,
 As your clean plate will prove.
 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey 
 from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia- A Life in Poems


#southern #southernlife #southernfood #southernfoodpoem #soulfoodpoem

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Shelling Peas

SHELLING PEAS 
 It's summertime in the country, 
 And the kids buzz around like bees; 
 But, when that silver tub is placed on the porch, 
 It's time for shelling peas. 
 From the smallest to the oldest, 
 It's something we'd all do; 
 At first, of course, the little ones, 
 Didn't have a clue. 
 They'd watch to see just how it went, 
 And soon , they'd give a try; 
 Then look amazed as fingers stained, 
 As though dipped in purple dye. 
 When we'd first get started, 
 It seemed an insurmountable chore; 
 There looked like half a million peas, 
 Or maybe even more. 
 But, after we all got the flow, 
 We'd turn it into fun; 
 We'd have a race to see just who 
 Would be the first one done. 
 We'd each one have our own bowl, 
 and a paper sack; 
 We's slip our fingers through the hull, 
 Then throw it empty back. 
 At last, when all the shells lay empty, 
 And a tub of peas was done; 
 We'd let the grownups take the haul, 
 Then look for some new fun. 
 Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dors
 from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia -A Life in Poems
#southern #southernlife #southernpoems #southernfoodpoems #countrylife #shellingpeas