Leftovers

Mother Nature wrote

the recipe of life. She made

sure not to forget the most

important ingredients:

love, pain, hope, despair,

euphoria, misery, joy,

sadness, love, hate,

and strength. Father time

finished the cooking

and served you another

meal – hoping you would

finish it this time. You

have a lot on your plate

and a glass half full,

but you’re not thirsty,

and you just don’t feel 

like eating. Your stomach

is an endless pit where

angels and demons fall

into it. You stare at

your food. You wish you

were in the mood to consume.

You don’t have an appetite.

Your mind and body fight

all day and night. The hunger

doesn’t go away. You have

a lot on your mind. I know

you want to clear your plate,

but you don’t want anything

to go to waste. You scrape

everything into tuberware

instead of the trash.

You say that you will finish

it later: just some more

leftovers. The fridge is full

of food, but you are not.

Dirty dishes pile up.

It’s a problem for another

time. Tomorrow will be

the same. There’s a lot

on your plate. You can’t

seem to throw away

what you couldn’t eat

from the previous day.

The dirty dishes will stay

until you decide to clean

them. The food will rot

until you toss it out: let go.

One bite at a time. Everything

will be fine. One day, you will

find a way to finish a meal

and realize that it is

the only way you will heal.