Fried Pies

Fried Pies


To make the filling, the mothers
cut the ripened apricots from their stones,
slice them into strips, soak them in pots of water,
cook them, add sugar, cinnamon, and cook them
again till they reach just the right consistency.
As the filling cools, they roll out the dough
for the crust, cut it into round pieces
they spoon the filling into the middle of,
fold them neatly in half, seal the curved
edges, pressing them with the tines of a fork,
and deep-fry them in bubbling lard
to a perfect medium brown.
As the pies cool on the table,
the children close their eyes and salivate,
picturing a thousand ripe apricots
dangling from the branches of the trees,
each a fuzzy, rosy, yellow sun
setting in the maw of the night.

Larry D. Thomas

Posted over on Larry D. Thomas Blog Site