The Meal Of Home Poem by VO THI NHU MAI

my heart trembles with the scent of smoke
from the family life where flame dances
and the golden rice
steamed in the quiet warmth
of a clay pot
the earth's gift in every grain
the sun dips low
its last rays wrapping the kitchen
in a soft cuddle
.
i can smell it
the freshly harvested rice,
a burst of tenderness from the pot
the sweet, smoky air
filling the house with life
the fish from the river
caught in the early hours
seasoned with salt and spice
bringing the taste of the land
to our lips
.
i remember the table
where laughter rose with the steam
as we gathered in the fading light
each bowl passed
each heart held close
the love in each bite
cosy and deep
this is home
the quiet, the simple, the familiar
.
even in distant lands
i hear the simmer of rice
and i am called back
back to the table
back to the arms of the earth
that raised me
where every meal is a prayer
a bond