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| from the painting by John Collier |
no greater feast
was ever offered to the people of his Kingdom.
they stood in line for hours
for this moment of redemption.
steaming soup, ladled as he saw fit
into each subjects bowl.
wanting their tax money
wanting their wheat
wanting their very souls
he proclaimed:
eat, and each bite will bring you knowledge
drink, and each sip will make your spirits soar.
chew each bite slowly
savor its flavor on your tongue
and it will bring you peace.
once i was a mere child.
chosen to be his bride
would sit for hours
gazing at his face
in wide-eyed amazement
willing to open my mouth to eat….
until the peasant boy taught me how to ride.
now i am galloping-
freed of all restrictions
my path well lit by stars and moons.
no need for force fed mind food
ladled so gently with his wooden spoon.
Lynnie Gobeille has published in The Sow's Ear Review, Crone’s Nest, The Avatar, The Prairie Home Companion, This I Believe (NPR), The New Verse News, The Providence Journal (Poetic License) and The Naugatuck River Review. Editor of the Providence Journal Poetry Corner (South County Edition ), her essays can be heard on NPR public radio. She is the co-founder of The Origami Poems Project, a state wide “free poetry event” based in Rhode Island . Her “micro chapbooks” can be found on their website: www.origamipoems.com .
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