I Don't Know How to Eat This - A Poem In Progress

the very rough draft of the first two stanzas of a poem

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Hello readers,

I’ve been crazy busy this week with my son’s college graduation festivities so I’ve had no time to finish anything to post. So I thought I’d give you the very first rough draft—just the first two stanzas—of a poem.

So I read this quote a few weeks ago:

In Thai, when we eat something that’s not to our taste, we don’t really say, “I don’t like this” or “this is bad.” We say, “I don’t know how to eat this.”

          - Pim Techamuanvivit

And I’ve been fascinated by this kind of cultural politeness ever since I read it. Right now, I’m only thinking of how I’ve been culturally polite in culinary settings but I’m sure this poem will go other places. So here it is:

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My new friend offers me a newer dish—
A seafood stew that I instantly hate.
I should say, “I don’t know how to eat this,”

But, too polite to be honest, I finish
My serving. Offered more, I pat my waist
And say I’m too full to eat more of this...