the stew

it's our stew.
this life.
this pot of boiling
potatoes
and rice,
carrots and onions.
meat.
it's our pot.
our lot in life
part chosen,
part given.
our hand seasons it.
the ladle
goes to our lips
and tastes
what boils
on the stove, what's
good enough
to eat, to serve
to others
or throw away.