10-THE STORY OF SOUR CHERRIES

The only cherries that bake well are sour.

Sweet ones go limp and dull in the oven.

His favorite dessert in Brooklyn in the ‘50s—

served by his mother, especially on his birthday—

was cherry pie from a bakery called Ebinger’s.

His childhood was sweet, but cramped.

When he could, he left Brooklyn,

struck out for the Great Plains.

Wisconsin called.

From its soil, he plucked a bride.

And there, they planted a garden,

bore children. Did he know

from the start the state grows

sour cherries?

Did his heart feel it?

Now, his wife bakes cherry pies from local fruit.

Ebinger’s closed when its customers moved away.