Abundance is a Shared Language; Are You Hungry? Can I Feed You?

The dVerse Poets Pub is a fab inspiration and muse for me, and yesterday’s prompt is right up my alley: Comfort Food: create something with “a presence of food in your poems. You can employ any form but touch upon food; vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, desserts you love or hate. It could be about why you love/abhor cooking/baking, your most memorable/miserable meal ever, your relationship with food…the possibilities are endless.”

So I wrote a ragged little poem to honor my Mom and her influence on my life, my love of food, and the act of service when you cook for people you love.

Abundance Is a Shared Language (are you hungry? can I feed you?)

I have always loved language
the precision of it; the music
and somewhere along the way
I realized I'm multilingual
I speak English: I also speak food

are you hungry? can I feed you?

my mother taught me this language
with recipes, party menus, 
knives, tools and cast iron pans

leaf lettuce lining platters
four kinds of cheese
nothing arranged too carefully
(make it inviting, not precious)

the message quite clear:
stay, enjoy, tell stories
you are wanted, just for yourself
(eat all you want; we have more)

are you hungry? can I feed you?

food was her love language
food is MY love language
I speak food

are you hungry? can I feed you?

I know how flavors will marry
before they meet
I trust my hands 
the chopping, the tasting
the quiet rhythm of making something
meaningful and tasty
for loved ones

are you hungry? can I feed you?

even when I'm far from home,
traveling for work or pleasure
I miss cooking
that simple, grounding act
of touching and shaping what will become 
not just a meal 
but a celebration
(eat all you want; we have more)

are you hungry? can I feed you?

I create something bright
colorful, generous, textural
meant to be shared without ceremony
the easy way we share ourselves
when we love openly
easily, with all our hearts

standing back
watching hands reach in
hearing stories rise and fall
the food a supporting actor
for the fellowship
I know the language is 
heard, understood, absorbed
the message is clear
(eat all you want; we have more)

are you hungry? can I feed you?

abundance is the food language
mom taught when 
she taught me how to cook
she taught me how to love

and now, with practice, I'm fluent
I can teach others
to speak my love language
the language of cooking 
and feeding people

are you hungry? 
I can feed you

©️ 2026, Glover Gardens