You often hear the term Spice Of Life. It has a very understandable beginning. Spices traveled ancient trade routes to be used as medicines just as much as flavoring. They were widely sought after for improving one's health.
Spice Of Life
We call them spices
These medicines of life
They plied the
ancient trade routes
A thousand years ago
Across the deserts of Arabia
A thousand miles away
What good was gold or silver
If we couldn’t swap for health
Thus, worldwide trade was born
Birthed by
The quest for health
Noble beginnings
With much promise
To be so abused
Thrown into our stew pot
As flavorings
Our taste buds to amuse
Have we gone too far
In dosing our food
Tastes, smells and flavorings
And so easy to obtain
Should we revise our strategy
And thus refrain
Court not the goddess of taste
She moves the goal and raises the bar
She can’t be won over
Better you stand back—afar
The beautiful lady’s veneer is thin
Too much smell of roses
Spoils the appreciation
But court instead
Her comely sister
The goddess of health
Learn to enjoy
The beggar’s plight
Eat his humble food
The taste will delight
Comfort, pleasure, love
You must worked for these
You must be hungry
Before you can appease
The hungrier you are
The broader the smile
A desert traveler’s quest for
water
Is pleased with
The dregs
From a dirty cup
When your body and soul plead
For food and water
Humble fare
Is all they ask for
Move back from the goddess of taste
Abandon her sweets
And she will lower the bar
And you will be courted by
The goddess of health
And the goddess of tastes too
And lurking in the shadows
You may get a glimpse
Of the goddess of wealth
This illusive sister
Whose favors are savory
And rarely understood
She abides near
Never far
From health and happiness
A traveling nomad
Came upon
A dry oasis
And found
A bag
And lamented
Alas!
It is only gold
