Grandma's Potato Salad
/Jennifer Newhouse
For things to last, you must be
meticulous. You must not over-season
or sweeten what is already sweet.
Even my grandmother never got it
quite to her liking –
her most requested dish
was boiled white potatoes, Hellman’s
mayonnaise, salt & pepper.
Diced onion to taste–not too much.
You people ruin what is already good.
Her favorite ice cream
was vanilla. The excessive flavors
(Reece’s, cookies and cream) irked her,
though occasionally I watched her
enjoy Turkey Hill’s Rocky Road
in a coffee cup. Widowed early,
wherever she was for these last
three or more decades–my life–
so was her potato salad
in its sturdy, ‘80s Tupperware container
& lid that burped the way
it’s supposed to when you seal it.
Heaven help the well-meaning
fool bringing it near a dishwasher.
Heaven help us for ruining it.
Author Statement:
I believe this poem was born out of a Daily Muse prompt (Two Sylvias Press). I am a married working mom of three young kids, so often, in order to actually write down the beginnings of a poem, I need to be truly inspired or have the right prompt, ideally a combination of the two. My grandmother passed away a few years ago, and there are times when I think about how she would advise me to handle certain things. She raised four children! For her, little caring details mattered because they added up to big things, but the trivial was nothing to worry about. Among family and friends, her potato salad (which had to be made with Hellman's mayonnaise), was always requested and needed to have just the right amount of diced onion. I am so happy to see this poem in print to honor her memory.
Bio: Jennifer Newhouse is a poet, writing professor, wife, and mother. She teaches at Rappahannock Community College, where she is an Associate Professor of English. Jennifer's poems have appeared in many journals, including Triquarterly, SAND, Blue Lyra, and Nimrod. Her chapbook, Labyrinth, was published in 2019 by Longleaf Press.
