Indiana Corn © 2010 Jacqueline Huppenthal
Published in From the Edge of the Prairie 2010
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tiny green shoots
lined up single file
cut through rock hard clay each spring
race to reach our knees
by the fourth of July
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on the cob and wrapped in silk
sweet golden jewels
grilled, steamed, or broiled
are voted most popular side
every summer cookout
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shiny round kernels
popped, scooped, and bagged
a must for baseball games, movie night
the guests of honor at popcorn fests
make Orville’s family proud
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paper cups full of the dried field type
25 cents each at the county fair
friendly pets come close to feed
donkeys, goats, and llamas
eat out of trusting hands
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acres of rows each fall
planned, cut, and roped
tough mazes delight and confuse
plants ten feet tall hide the secret way
keep us lost in fun with friends
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dried sturdy stalks
and colorful Indian ears
decorations carefully bundled and hung
husks rustle in October winds
tassels wave and welcome trick-or-treaters
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corn stoves warm winter homes
carved corncob pipes complete snowmen
throughout the seasons and every year
corn is, in every shape and form
the center of attention in family traditions
community celebrations
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