Spice Of Life

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