True stories are always the best!
WHERE YOU FIND IT (SoCal Christmas)
That winter we were broke
Broken into bite-size pieces by our
Topanga Canyon appetites
Doobies opium hash wonka windowpane
drink snort smoke toke more more
wasting days and wastrel nights
By Christmas Day we had nothing
to give our friends
but canned vegetables
lifted from the local market
wrapped in the funny papers
Presents taped carefully, lovingly
exchanging gifts with one another
as though we had each one of us found treasure
Opened the cans and found a pot
to make Stoner Soup
The most generous Christmas of my life
© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
mypoeticlicense
Absolutely LOVE it….oh the crap we blew our cash on in our younger days, before being responsible was necessary. And although bare-boned, those memories created (well, the ones that can be recalled)are so sweet.
– Dina
Sharp Little Pencil
Dina, see my reply above. Completely validates your comment; the time wasted, yet the gifts given us later in the form of humor and inspiration. I am SO on your page, it’s not even funny! Thanks so much, A.
pamela
A hippie poem! Ha I love it!
Amy what is Stoner soup?
I am an old hippie from New York and know nothing about the West coast oops! I am thinking this is something I missed!
Pamela
Sharp Little Pencil
Stoner soup is a term I coined for this occasion. It’s like the old children’s story, Stone Soup, in which the stranger to the town brings a rock and says he’s making Stone Soup and then all the villagers bring vegetables, etc., a little meat, and soon, because of their family feeling and mutual cooperation, the stone has “magically”
made a satisfying meal all can share. In our case, it was just canned veggies, but the principle applied. And we were… stoners! Ha! Yes, the time and money we wasted on getting wasted back in the day… still, it has yielded much poetry for me today, in my fifties!
Stan Ski
It’s what we learn from our experiences that counts.
Sharp Little Pencil
Amen, brother!
Mary Kling
That was quite a Christmas memory, Amy. I think you have come a long ways since those old days of wrapping canned vegetables as gifts. But the time period definitely seems to have gifted you with poetry.
http://inthecornerofmyeye.blogspot.com/2010/06/gift.html
Sharp Little Pencil
Someone very wise, an old friend, said life is all about the journey. The longer I live, the more I see the truth in that observation.
anthonynorth
That’s one incredible memory.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Anthony. Somehow, through the haze of my hippie years, certain memories come back with all edges and colors intact!
Julie Jordan Scott
Yes, yes, yes. I enjoyed the heck out of this poem… I especially loved the feeling of “Topanga Canyon appetites” being a sort of diving board into the rest.
I look forward to reading more of your poetry… your identity “Sharp Little Pencil” sounds like the title of a poem I might write….
Read my Gift poem here.
1sojournal
Love it when one word packs days, weeks, and years of experience. That’s a high all in itself. Hats off to you and your ‘Stoner Soup’.
Elizabeth
Understanding Alice
a gift of all you have has to be precious whatever the circumstance – even if it is tinned veg 🙂
keiths ramblings
What a lovely memory. Clearly a very special gift indeed. I hope you enjoy my story as much as I did your poem.
Gemma@Greyscale
It seems to be that when we think we are very poor and maybe tragic, it is then we find (and value) the shining jewel of happiness and precious memory! A beautiful poem!
Linda Goin
“wasting days and wastrel nights” — LOLOL — What a great twist on that line. This is a great one, Amy. One of my favorites of yours. Glad you’re happier with this new site…I’ll change your URL on your link at my site.
brenda w
Amy, Amy, Amy Again you’ve created a gem. I love this, I lived it…you gave it life on my computer screen. Not only did you create a gem. You are a gem!!!
~Brenda
vivinfrance
This is all way out of my experience, but I love the gleam of generosity that shines through it.
tillybud
I love this story, especially stanza 2.
http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com
Dee
never made it to SoCal but have had the same sort of experience. We had little but shared much. It’s good to remember that there were some very good things back then.
Sharp Little Pencil
Had little, shared much. That’s the part I like to remember, and there is no specific zip code for that phenomenon!
Mr. Walker
“Stoner Soup” – I love that! And that line: “wasting days and wastrel nights”. There is something more valuable then money. Well done!