50 State Tour: Oregon, Honey!

Summer is coming. The blueberries in our backyard are still green, so we're eagerly awaiting early July, when they'll be ready to eat. Warm from the sun. Mmmm.

Oregon (33rd State, 2/14/1859) is known for its berries and fruit trees. Almost all of the hazelnuts used in the U.S. -- 98% --come from the Beaver State.

The city of Portland even has an official doughnut, the Portland Creme. This is what they look like. Is your mouth watering yet?

I've been experimenting with honey, skipping the teddy-bear shaped jars in favor of comb honey. We also like trying different honeys. Buckwheat honey from upstate New York is dark and has a strong nutty flavor.

Here is an article about comb honey from the Oregon State Beekeepers Association.

Oregon's new state poet laureate is Paulann Peterson. She started her two year term in April -- National Poetry Month.

In "A Sacrament," Peterson uses honey as a fresh metaphor for the ecstatic experience. This being transformed by being in the moment is a favorite subject of poets Rumi and Mary Oliver.

A Sacrament
 
BY PAULANN PETERSEN

Become that high priest,
the bee. Drone your way
from one fragrant
temple to another, nosing
into each altar. Drink
what's divine--
and while you're there,
let some of the sacred
cling to your limbs.
Wherever you go
leave a small trail
of its golden crumbs.
In your wake
the world unfolds
its rapture, the fruit
of its blooming.

The rest of the poem (and others by Peterson) are at CounterPunch. Her poem "Appetite" -- also about honey and bees -- is at the Poetry Foundation.

Next state up is Kansas. Poet Laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg is stopping by for a visit!