Deep Fried Okra and Fried Green Tomatoes

I think of the days when we were one  
she watching my back  
my back needing watching  
when times got hard  
when things started to go wrong  
we had a "time out" phrase  
 
deep fried okra  
fried green tomatoes  
 
seventh inning stretch words  
you know chill out time  
whatever the name  
when things were bad  
one of us sometimes both  
would say quietly  
 
deep fried okra  
fried green tomatoes  
 
time to step back  
think of the good things  
wrap our thoughts around  
smiles and happiness  
eclipsing frowns  
and insensitive words  
 
deep fried okra  
fried green tomatoes  
 
silly thing to say  
we'd both laugh at our foolishness  
still . . .  
after the laughter  
came the loving  
all because of  
 
deep fried okra  
fried green tomatoes  
 
when I couldn't see the danger  
she always could  
trying to hold me back  
as headlong I plunged  
willy-nilly  
and she would say  
 
deep fried okra  
fried green tomatoes  
 
I yearn for the times she was with me  
boosting my ego  
helping me fight my fights  
I was impulsive  
she the strong one  
a team because of  
 
deep fried okra  
fried green tomatoes  
 
©May 19, 2017 / Jerry Pat Bolton