1
Our relationship with food
is complicated–
calories, allergies,
chemistry, biology
Food never comes to our table
without context—
farm, factory,
consumption, waste
Food once grew itself–
humans gathered—
fruit, tubers,
grain, seeds
2
Do you know your food?
Haven’t we met?
earth, air,
fire, water
Can you name what it contains?
Read my label.
flavored and colored fruit pieces
treated with sodium sulfite to promote color retention
Can you point me out in a crowd?
Do you recognize me?
carrot, apple
corn, sunflower seed
Eat Me.
I didn’t really understand the NaPoWriMo prompt, but my poem has two parts and the food talks.
It also gave me an opportunity to resurrect some old drawings that prove I once knew how to draw still life. What do you think Aletha?
Can you guess what I made after I drew the second one?
K. 
Guacamole is Selma’s guess. And K, these resurrected pieces are stellar as every thing you do. I did not understand what to do with this prompt either… I love your words. Blessings.
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that’s my guess too 🙂
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correct
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You’re right Selma. One of my specialties.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. Sometimes we just have to improvise with the prompts.
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I don’t know what the prompt was, but I sure like the writing and drawings!
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Thanks Chris!
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Wonderful!
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Thanks Muri. And thanks for your scavenger hunt! It was very helpful when the prompts failed me.
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How little or how much I liked this pair. A lot, that’s how much. (maybe a silly prompt) (but you did & first rate) Who’d thought I’d like a poem ’bout vegs & fruit. But I do. Good draws, good words. The plate is full.
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Thanks–full plates are always preferable.
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I heard a report, asking American kids in fast food places, if they knew what they were eating. Many were horrified to learn that a ‘chicken’ was a live animal once. The ignorance was staggering. So, to answer your very pertinent question, I doubt it.
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Yes, I’m sure it is. People have no idea what they ingest–chemicals, hormones, things that are uncategorizable, but are not what anyone would call food.. But heaven forbid you ask them to take a vaccine.
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The stupidity of humankind is limitless.
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It is.
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Such an interesting response, Kerfe. It has become so complicated, and I suspect many do not know what they’re eating. Or they live in areas/situations where they do not have access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
I like your still life drawings, especially the bowl of fruit.
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Thanks Merril. I actually think very few people read food labels. But I’m always glad of them. There are farmer’s markets all over the city, but they are expensive. I think that’s a problem too. I’m not sure if they take food stamps, but of course the Republicans are taking those away anyhow.
I want to get back to drawing again. (Time…)
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You’re welcome, Kerfe.
Yes, lots of problems.
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Your drawings are wonderful and so is your poetry. Some of the prompts are abstract but you mastered them well.
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Thanks Colleen. A lot of them seem to require intrepretation.
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I couldn’t resist the title of this post and poem, Kerfe. We have an important and complicated relationship with food. Eat well!
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Thanks Diana. I do my best.
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Guacamole?
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Yes!
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Ingredients superbly drawn. No doubt the guac will be delish! 🙂
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It always us.
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The Q & A format works well here and I like you still lifes (or is that lives?) I’m going to take more care in growing food this season. We’ll see how it goes.
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At least we have a farmer’s market, since I have no means to grow anything but a few herbs.
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I think you could grow microgreens if you had a plant light and a heat mat. I’ve been watching a Great Courses series on homesteading and they are very easy to grow and so healthy for you and so much cheaper than if you have to buy them. Question: how close is that community garden you posted pics of awhile back? I would love to see you have a plot there you could visit every day 🙂
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It’s pretty close, but the spaces (of course) are all booked up with a waiting list. I have to say my younger daughter keeps trying to grow vegetables in her apartment. She’s been very successful with herbs, while I have limited success. I think she’s trying peppers again. She plants the seeds from what she eats. She got me a new lemon plant too, after my 30 year old ones got overrun with mealy bugs and died. I’m not sure where I would put any more plants in here though. I have too many already.
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I like to imagine you surrounded by plants in your apartment. Very cool on your daughter indoor farming.
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