Elise Skidmore

 
 
 It's Monday and
 there's a turkey in the oven
 sending its savory goodness  
 and a feeling of warmth
 throughout the house.  
 My stomach growls
 and it occurs to me  
 that this is the first time
 that I've had roasted turkey
 on a Monday—
 not counting visits to restaurants
 that may have included turkey.
 
 
 When I was young
 the only time we ever had turkey
 was on Thanksgiving.  
 It made turkey a real treat
 and Thanksgiving is  
 always on a Thursday.
 As the years went by,  
 turkey became more popular,
 so we'd sometimes have it
 for other holiday meals  
 when company came over,
 but I don't believe  
 that ever happened on a Monday.
 
 
 Today is a holiday—
 but President's Day  
 doesn't usually call for big dinners,
 so it's definitely unusual.
 Why, you may ask?
 Back in November,
 when turkeys were  
 at the height of their popularity,
 there was a question whether
 we'd be able to follow tradition
 and spend Thanksgiving  
 with our daughters in Boston.
 So I grabbed a turkey from the freezer
 to make sure we'd have dinner just in case
 the worst happened.
 Thankfully, it didn't,
 but there's been a 16 pound turkey
 crowding out my freezer ever since.
 
 
 With the three day weekend upon us,
 we decided now was as good a time as any,
 since the only upcoming holiday dinner
 would be Easter, when we always have lamb.
 We'll have a lot leftover.  
 There are plans for its uses
 that could rival Bubba's shrimp list
 from Forest Gump, 
 but I'm sure some will end up back in the freezer,
 because really, as much as I love turkey,
 you can only eat it so many days in a row
 before you get tired of it.
 But for today,
 I'm going to let my mouth water  
 from the amazing scent
 of turkey roasted roasting in the oven
 with bacon draped over the skin for crispness,
 and enjoy the treat of  
 turkey on a Monday.
 
 

~Elise Skidmore ©2021