rare, indeed
art by Claes Oldenburg
“Pop art is basically about two things: ordinariness and eating.” –Holland Cotter, NYT art critic. Whatever pop art is about, Swedish-born American sculptor, Claes Oldenburg (1929-2022) exemplified it. He is known for his large scale sculptures of ordinary objects, many produced with his third wife, Coosje van Bruggen. Floor Burger (1962) was an earlier piece, weighing in at 700 lbs. Patty Mucha, his first wife, did much of the sewing of the canvas, also stuffing it with styrofoam and newspapers. She tended to work slowly as she would frequently stop to read the news.
days of pink today at the burger shack the patty was pink and in me rose thoughts of cow guts Jack-in-the-Box (and other outbreaks) Johnny Depp’s daughter and how in the good olden days of sun decks and laughter picnics and bikinis chips and watermelon coolers and hibachis ring toss with your cousin girls with other families always we were asked how do ya want your patty? and always we’d shout: I want my patty pink! ah the olden days of old those rare golden days of rare gold and my patty pink
The poem feels like a playful rush of nostalgia sparked by something as ordinary as a too‑pink burger.
I love how the speaker jumps from a moment of worry straight into memories of summers that felt endless.
There’s something warm in the way those old days come back cousins, picnics, sun, and all that easy joy.
The phrase “patty pink” turns into this funny little chant that somehow carries real affection.
It’s lighthearted, but there’s also a soft ache underneath, like realizing how far away those moments are now.
The pop‑art reference fits perfectly everyday things suddenly feel meaningful and worth remembering.
I like how the poem treats nostalgia as messy, silly, and precious all at once.
It shows how one tiny detail can open a whole drawer of memories you didn’t expect to revisit.
The rhythm feels like someone talking while flipping burgers at a backyard grill, smiling at the past.
By the end, it reads like a small toast to those rare golden summers we only understand once they’re gone.
Johnny Depp's daughter puzzled me for a moment. Didn't even know he had one. I still take my chances on rare burgers and now you've made me hungry for one about the size of Oldenburg's sculpture. Plus the picnics and bikinis, a cooler full of beer, the outdoors....Cheers