A Future in Vegetables

A Future in Vegetables

broccoli
asparagus
cauliflower

never once met a plate on my parents' table
when I was a kid
no, they never did

kohlrabi
snow peas
jicama

never heard of them around my parents' table
never had to sit
hating to eat it

arugula
chard
portabello mushrooms

never knew recipes at my parents' table
what other riches
could have found niches?

artichoke
parsley
summer squash

exotic fare not found on my parents' table
they could not abide
what else did they hide?

a wide, wide world of taste and texture
a universe of grand adventure
did they really have to abate
an exploration of flavorings
or did they actually hate
those fine vegetable savorings

okra
eggplant
cooked carrots

these utterly unmissed on my parents' table
so thanks mom and dad
your food wasn't bad

and maybe it was all to the good
that your table featured plainer food
so my adulthood took to wings
in kitchen flights of fantasies
culinary imaginings
more than potatoes corn and peas