‘Cheese’ they said.
Little did they know the curves of my rounded journey,
How I once craved to be included in what we so called an eternal emblem of knowledge and light.
Every yearning turns into a churning
Of regret and envy
I wish I had the courage to be deemed flavoursome; to be known as an acquired taste has left every inch
Of my pale, yellowed body a burden.
As the rolls caress and smooth out my wrinkles
I look back, I think back to a time when the sounds
Of the luring pine grass held me tight and reflected
Back my presence in the form of freedom.
To make the choices that allow me to be me and
Not melted, not carved, not sliced, not crumbled, not baked and not even grilled!
Allow me to be one with Mother Nature and don’t force me to smile and be grateful!
[This is a Featured Poem from our Spring 2024 Poetry Contest.]