Gravy

I am 60 asking my
13-year-old grandson
For help making the
Thanksgiving gravy,
He has no clue what
This task will entail.
He eagerly agrees to
Help so after we put
The baked turkey onto
A serving platter to cool
And be sliced we look
Into the big oven baking
Pan to see fat, browned
Blood and bits of turkey
Skin and meat to which
We add a tablespoon of
Flour and some chicken
Broth plus a lot of spices
For fowl like sage, oregano,
Rosemary and thyme.
We heat the concoction
Stirring constantly so it will
Not stick and burn to the
Bottom of the pan which
Means my grandson stirs for
Half an hour while I add more
Flour and chicken broth.
He is fatigued so I take over
For a bit but then call him
Back to stir another half hour
As I add salt, pepper, spices,
He is asking how it can take
So long to just make gravy?
He asks why not just open a
Can of store-bought gravy instead.
I preach patience to him as
The gravy bubbles on one burner
Then the other as He keeps
Stirring away exhausted.
Then we turn off the stovetop
Burners and let the gravy sit for
Awhile as we slice the turkey.
At this point I ask him to taste
The gravy with a sliver of
Turkey to see if it needs more
Spice and his face lights up
In surprise as he declares this
Gravy is a hundred times better
Than any gravy from a can.
His mother, my wife, my sister
And another lady all respond,
Great! You make the gravy and
We’ll all be delighted to eat it
Which they do at supper.
Next Thanksgiving my grand-
Son wants the pan made gravy
But does not want to fix it,
He gets to help fix it anyway
And learns what really good
Food tastes like and how hard
And long it takes to make
Truly delicious gravy.