Polka Pantomime (Micro Fiction)

Hello Readers,

The prompt this week is to write a short fiction piece about OLD WORLD CHARM. “It can be nostalgic or irreverent. You can invent an “old world,” return to migrant roots, or recall ancient times. Go where the prompt leads you!”

Here is my take:

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Title: Polka Pantomime 

Fiction word count: 99

I saw her dancing, again, this Sunday

polka played from the radio

cabbage and meat aroma filled the air

the low heels of her shoes

clicked with certain cues

the dress, that covered most of her body, barely moved

while her shoulders sometimes grooved

soft face wrinkles

with eyes that twinkled

as her feet stepped side to side

doing some sorta polka slide –

and I, barely 13, stayed back

watching from the shadow

curious about this old grandmother of mine

as she traveled back in time

every Sunday

doing the Polka pantomime

 

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My fiction is based on my Grandmother

She danced the polka every Sunday and tapped into the “old world charm” whenever she could.

This is what some of  her “pigs in the blanket” looked like (cabbage rolled with meat inside). The “chub” recipe we make at our house – (here) sounds similar – but I think I will make some of these Sophie-inspired cabbage rolls soon. 

Speaking of food, have been wanting to show Joanne the Zucchini noodles we make with the “vegetable spiralizer” – 

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In closing…  

here are two songs similar to  what Grandmother would play and dance with on Sundays

I chose this short Polka song, Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie, because Charli Mills featured such tasty details about food this week with the Pasty Fest in her area. 

I chose this second short Polka instrumental for the Pennsylvania bloggers out there 🙂

Want more Polka?

Some history of the huge Polka festival in Wisconsin HERE

 

P  R  I  O  R  H  O  U  S  E       B L O G

2019

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35 thoughts on “Polka Pantomime (Micro Fiction)

  1. Oh I recognize those cabbage rolls 😀 They’re quite yummy when done properly.
    The “I got to know the bitchy one instead” part brought a bitter sweet smile. Hmmm… I wonder why that sounds familiar… 😉 Anyway, I’m glad you caught glimpses of the nice grandma as well and have some sweet memories of her.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi ana – and the bittersweet smile I get from knowing your stories – so familiar – eh? and glad we survived them and then thrived in spite of them
      thanks for the comment

      Liked by 1 person

      1. What doesn’t kills us… 😉
        On the upside, it was from my mean grandmother I learnt how to cook those cabbage rolls 😀
        I got lost in the culinary story last time, I think, and I forgot to mention how I loved those sweet, evocative lines you wrote.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. thanks for coming back to add that – appreciate the feedback a lot.
      and was just reading a section of “hard times” by Dickens and had to laugh when a character referred to his grandmother as that old “hag”
      – and some folks – whether grandmother or not – just leave a nasty essence behind – eh?

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Polka music wasn’t something I grew up with but cabbage rolls were. I haven’t had a really good cabbage roll like my mom used to make in a VERY long time! Thanks for the memory.

    I guess I’m a purist. I can’t think of a meat-based tomato sauce without pasta. I did however try zucchini ‘noodles’ with an oil-garlic dressing and it was delicious!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ji Joanne – well so glad you were able to try the zucchini noodles and liked them – we actually started not cooking them now (got the idea from a health mentor names Stee) and for us it works – but if you can still get away with having regular flour noodles – I say enjoy!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Just a small Q and A thing. One song mentioned was Warren Zevon’s Mr Bad Example. Apparently there is a band from Texas Brave Combo who did lots of classics, Purple Haze, Stairway to Heaven etc in Polka style lol

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi YC – I have never made them and so I am not sure – I think the meat is lightly cooked and then rolled – and then they are baked in the oven – 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Fond remembrances of Sophie fill this post – it is really enjoyable Yvette. The accordian is something I played for about three years and when we moved here in 1966, there were no music stores that had accordian lessons, so it sits in its case in the basement to this day.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh Linda, how cool that you know how to play it and still have your accordion – my son has one – a child’s size one – and I think it is still in the attic in a bin. He only tinkered and played guitar instead ( ha) and I bet it was tough to find lessons – and that was before the days of YouTube or online teachers.
      thanks for sharing and

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yvette – my father was German and he insisted that the accordion would be my instrument to learn. I played better by ear than reading music, despite taking lessons for three years at the Ontario Conservatory of Music (we had a satellite music school in the town where I lived). We did some recitals and played at nursing homes around Christmas time. But yes, it reposes in its case downstairs and has for decades … here is a picture of me playing my full-sized accordion. We just rented a child’s accordion with 12 chord buttons and a smaller keyboard. Then when we mastered that, we moved on to a full-sized instrument and my parents bought that one. My pictures back in the beginning of my blog were very small as you will see. https://lindaschaubblog.net/2013/10/05/oktoberfest-not-your-wurst-nightmare/

        Liked by 1 person

  4. What an inspirational post, Yvette, and those cabbage rolls look delicious! Polka was not something I grew up with but I watched Lawrence Welk. Your flash is a beautiful tribute.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Charli – and as noted over at your place – your talk of food and then dancing really “primed” me for the content of this old world charm post –
      and my grandmother Sophie watched Welk (and Hee-haw) so cheers to that 🙂

      Like

  5. Polka-dot… dot-dash-dot-dot dash!
    See what the word has done to me!

    Polka dot… that’s now stuck in my head!
    Polka… dots…
    Please give me a piece of bread…
    polka dottti.. I flee
    before you shoot me dead!
    😵😁😲🤪🙃😄

    Liked by 1 person

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