This is my favorite poem about giving thanks:
Gravy
Raymond Carver
No other word will do. For that's what it was.
Gravy.
Gravy, these past ten years.
Alive, sober, working, loving, and
being loved by a good woman. Eleven years
ago he was told he had six months to live
at the rate he was going. And he was going
nowhere but down. So he changed his ways
somehow. He quit drinking! And the rest?
After that it was all gravy, every minute
of it, up to and including when he was told about,
well, some things that were breaking down and
building up inside his head. "Don't weep for me,"
he said to his friends. "I'm a lucky man.
I've had ten years longer than I or anyone
expected. Pure Gravy. And don't forget it."
Happy Thanksgiving.
That's so awesome... I may have to, um, borrow (steal) this and post it as well. Full credit to you, of course. :)
Happy Thanksgiving, my dear.
Posted by: Cecily | November 25, 2005 at 12:58 PM
Love it! Raymond Carver is the best ... and I hadn't read this one, either. So thanks.
Posted by: Scrivener | November 25, 2005 at 04:15 PM
Happy Thanksgiving
Posted by: Mieke | November 26, 2005 at 01:50 PM
I love this poem.
Posted by: jo(e) | November 28, 2005 at 06:55 PM
I know it's about two years after the fact, but I just wanted to thank you for posting this!
Posted by: Josh Miller | July 27, 2007 at 02:54 AM
Hey, Carver died in 1988 didnt he? Its quite a bit more than 2 years after the fact. lol
Posted by: Tim McMahon | August 21, 2007 at 08:57 PM
The peom was posted in 2005. The response was posted in 2007--two years after the fact.
L.O.L.
Posted by: Jim | December 03, 2008 at 07:37 PM