Poem by Kate Richardson

Ode to Food
A Pindaric Ode
 
Let us thank our daily bread, fresh sliced.
Its cliché is the staff of life.
Oatmeal, whole grain, country, rye
Nourish our appetites, brains, and eyes.
Oh, fields of grain, golden in the sun,
Milled into flour rich for everyone.
 
Yet many say they reach for rice
To keep them fed, to avoid the price
Of hunger’s claws, to hold on,
To silence starvation’s brittle song.
Bags of rice can mean a fortune,
Can be the bank families count on.
 
I hope bread and rice do both suffice
To keep alive the human race.
I hope any kitchen can have room for both
To fill the bowl, shape the loaf.
Grains and heat, some sort of pan
Maintain life for grateful hands. 

​Kate Richardson (Anne Arundel County, MD) has been a teacher, copywriter, and editor. She now writes poetry and plays soprano and alto recorder.

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