Jan 14, 2017 Free Verse, Original Poetry, Uncategorized

Soft
©January 14th, 2017
By Vijaya Sundaram

Food makes our eyes soft.
We hunger while we wait for it
Or we cook, and are sated.
And the food, steaming hot,
Made with love and care,
Full of richness
Brings an upwelling of gratitude
And makes our eyes soft.

And tempers are mollified
And stomachs sated,
And work happens,
And projects met,
All because food, ready and rich,
And made with love and care,
Comes to us, at our table,
And makes our eyes soft.

So it was when I nursed my babe
And she looked with her milk-bright face,
(Two-and-a-half months old, she was),
And smiled up at me, blurry-eyed,
Like a watery painting come to life,
And I smiled down at her,
At her silken and cloud-like
Presence, in the circlet of my arms
Her gaze seemed to say, Thank you.
Her eyes were soft.

So it is when I cook for my dog –
Fragrant, buttery rice and vegetables,
Or omelette with a side of yoghurt –
Her face looks misty as she awaits food.
See how she stands, patient and alert,
Tail at half-mast, full of the knowledge
That food, her much-awaited food
Will tip into a bowl, all for her.
And now she bends to eat. 
When she looks up at me
Her eyes are soft.

This is love, and this is gratefulness
When I see you, and you, and you,
I am satiated, and am glad
And a hunger I never knew existed
Is appeased and eased, and a softness
Settles upon my aching self.
I am full with the love of you,
And am grateful for this richness.
And when I gaze upon you, and you, and you
My eyes feel soft.

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Tags: #FoodandLove, #FoodPoem, #OriginalPoetrybyVijayaSundaram, #Satiation