Here I am on another Wednesday. Our most recent prompt was rather strange, but I made two attempts to address it. Lately, I have been writing much more verse than in the past. I’m not sure why. It is what seems to emerge.
Meals Alone
A stomach filled
with hunger for another face at the table
Eyes meeting, smile reciprocated, dishes passed
A stomach filled
With hunger for a leisurely conversation over a meal
That feeds the heart and mind as well a the body
A stomach filled
With hunger assuaged by faces on a TV screen
And observation of others conversing
A stomach filled
With hunger assuaged by the presence of a pet
Who shares a meal by begging
Who listens without ability to respond
A stomach filled quickly
Eating alone, hardly tasting, minimal preparation,
Little enjoyment, hunger unsatisfied.
Now, for the second.
Unsatiated Hunger
A stomach filled with hunger
Misunderstood
Misinterpreted
Looking for satisfaction not found in food
A stomach filled with hunger
Ignores the signal it's filled
Keeps on stuffing t'til ill
Triggered by frustration
Or pain or loneliness
Waits for no indication of emptiness
Feeds the body to comfort the soul
Distract the mind
Give artificial pleasure
A stomach filled with hunger
Misdiagnosed needs
Fed by limitless supply
Unhealthy choices
Devoured with lack of restraint
First a bad habit
Then an addiction
Obesity an epidemic
A cultural phenomenon
One reply on “A Stomach Filled with Hunger”
These verses are powerful because they are “diagnostic” and express deep insight, giving expression to personally unrecognized truths that are having a huge impact on many people.