Stuffing the bird
Stirring the pot
Sprinkling the salt
Polishing the spoons
Rolling the crust
Spreading the cloth
Greeting the guests
Scraping the plates
White privilege and mashed potatoes
Have a way of weighing us down.
Bitter words like
indigenous genocide Thanksgrieving
had slowly replaced the sweet and savory in our November feast
Until one year we took a pilgrimage to Plymouth Rock
to bear witness with the Wampanoag
who had declared it a National Day of Mourning
like Tisha b’AvThe holiday on which the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem is commemorated through fasting and prayers.
They spoke of trespass—not gravy recipes
of atrocity—not football games
Get to know the tribe whose land you are on.
Tear up those silly Pilgrim hats.
Reject the Pilgrim platitudes.
Transcend the cheesy gratitudes.
Redeem the Day.
