At a potluck buffet, one always expects to come to a feast.
The spread of food excites the sight
and left-overs become inevitably
a blinding reminder we have had our fill.
What is left-over but the food we fear to taste,
or simply too much of a good thing gone to waste,
or food prepared by someone unknown,
or food in need of more seasoning,
or food in need of longer cook-time.
Always food not to our taste
is what we allow to go to waste.
So we put it away for another day.
Too often we forget it still has value.
And, so it is in a country promising
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
that we expect to always be satisfied,
and feel totally justified
in putting left-overs aside:
mothers, children, the aging, the homeless, the poor,
the hungry, immigrants and refugees,
Those who look different, love different
pray different, those whom we fear to try.
The left-overs from the American buffet,
forgotten or simply thrown away.
But, our hunger is never satisfied.
