The Potato Eaters

Sometimes, the naked taste of potato
reminds me of being poor.

The first bites are gratitude,
the rest, contented boredom.

The little kitchen still flickers
like a candle-lit room in a folktale.

Never again was my father so angry,
my mother so still as she set the table,

or I so much at home.

Copyright Credit: Reprinted by permission of the author, whose most recent book is Tears of the Old Magician, Orchises Press, 2003.
Source: Tears of the Old Magician (Orchises Press, 2003)