This Little Grain of Rice
This
little grain of rice
Matured
through time
Could
nurture a generation
Feed the
world
This
little grain of rice
Moist with
healthy yearning
Cultivates
injured landscapes
Spread
across the earth by diffusion
Is welcome
saviour to huddled masses
This little grain of rice
Buys guns and ammunition
Loads weapons with fuller bellies
Keeps troops marching over barren terrain
This little grain of rice
Sends men off to distant wars
Brings them home from killing fields
Nourishes those mighty dreams in children
This
little grain of rice
Entices
people to worship on knees
Build
marble pillar gods
Isolates
wits with ergot nightmares
Golden
altars are built in homage to a granule
As men and
women alike reach for the diminutive
That tiny
moment of death that defines existence
This little grain of rice
Calmly awaits the tender storm
Sheltered with attentive conventions
Protected by a father’s stern warnings
Floats as cerise boat at the crack of dawn
This little grain of rice
Lifted from tiny plastic bags
Scattered as cathedral bells ring
Forms an umbrella over anxious brides
Becomes fertility symbol of marriage vows
This little grain of rice
Wrapped in thin defensive shield
Becomes the mother of our appetites
Once that succulent affection is released
From golden husk veiled in sweet essence
I rolled
my tongue along its velvet pouch
Savoured
the natural sweetness
Offering
the flavour of hope
Invented a
tasteful saccharine language
Left
hungry for more
This little grain of rice
This little grain of rice
Fertilised
with love
Could have
fed my world
Forever
* * *
