"Who eats seeds", he asks.
"Birds?", he questions.
As I hold the bag,
his eyes watching me.
I want to say that maybe I was a bird
in another life,
and that is why I love the sky and ocean.
I smile,
because if I was a bird ,
I could fly over rooftops,
resting on windowsills while
watching the world go by,
nature's reality television.
" I eat seeds", I answer.
I hold the sunflower seed bag proudly,
still smiling .
I drift away,
I was eight,
holding mom's hand
in a noisy street in Tel-Aviv.
At a shop full of barrels,
filled with seeds and nuts, dried fruit.
The smells of pistachio and almond
intoxicating.
Armed with the bag of delights,
we would head on home.
Friday night,
I would soak in the conversations,
on books, politics, and life's wisdom.
As I listened to dad and friends,
I would taste the seeds,
I would taste life.
i love the way you tell stories with your poetry, and i really like this one :)
ReplyDeleteah this is lovely...i ate nearly a bag of sunflower seeds on my drive home sunday...i love seeds...and have always dreamed of flying like a bird...go figure...smiles. lovely story telling too.
ReplyDelete"I would taste life." Love that line, and I could picture everything as I read :)
ReplyDeleteFunny how our cherished childhood memories comes back when we eat "seeds" ~
ReplyDeleteBest lines~
I would taste the seeds,
I would taste life.
wonderful, just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteahhh - seems you still can fly...this was such an enjoyable read...you should see me smile...
ReplyDeleteSeeds are for the birds, so spread those wings and fly high. "I would taste life" as said, wonderful line.
ReplyDeleteSuch a gorgeous write and such a lovely memory!
ReplyDeleteA lovely write...I'd want to be a bird in my next life...
ReplyDeleteI eat seeds too. Sunflower seeds are yummy. As MamaZen said, this is a wonderful memory. Pistachios are nuts, not seeds, but they are the best thing on earth. :-)
ReplyDeleteExcellent--you really put the reader there from the first line. Great writing, from the simple declarative phrases to the deeper metaphor, all in tune. Enjoyed it much.
ReplyDeleteWhat a way to tell us your history about your parents. IThe seed metaphor is powerful Ayala.
ReplyDeleteWho else could write such an affecting poem built around eating seeds? You put me right there.
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much for this wonderful ray of sunshine! Seems many folks this evening (myself included) are rolling a little slower, pointing more to the sad and wistful. This was a fantastic adventure for me, and I was at the market with you. Like you, I was absolutely addicted to listening to my Dad's conversations with his friends and business partners about the state of the world, and tonight, you've brought me back to that happiness. Thank you, again! Made my day! :)
ReplyDeleteI eat seeds also...I use to dream of flying all the time...not lately though... Humm? Smiles!
ReplyDeleteThe imagery in this works so well...I something in common with the speaker, when I was a kid, I used to imagine that I was a bird all the time.
ReplyDeleteI like how you transitioned from talking to your son (I'm guessing?) to remembering when you were a child. Beautiful poem. :-)
ReplyDeleteFilled with all the senses! I love how you tell such a wonderful story with your poem.
ReplyDeleteyou are a gifted story teller Ayala :)
ReplyDeleteAlong with Brian, Louise and others, it seems I too am part of this flock of bird lovers and wishers of flight while this beautiful poem of yours captures
ReplyDeletethose thoughts and desires in your own life. Just lovely.
I eat seeds too. I love your seed memories and can picture that market. Did you grow up in Israel?
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful, the things that can draw us back across the years...a lovely story, and a fine memory of family.
ReplyDeleteVery nice poem, Ayala
ReplyDeleteA lovely, gentle poem, Ayala. Much enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteLady Nyo
Aww... how lovely! The innocence packed in this is just adorable! Oh, and birds.. I keep praying that in my next life, I am one with flight.. Yes, I pray hard...
ReplyDeleteA sweet li'l poem this is!!
Beautiful write, I could see it and taste it.
ReplyDeleteNice anedote that glides into deeper aspects
ReplyDeleteI love sunflower seeds. This poemmakes me want to go out and buy a bag. Nice one.
ReplyDeleteLove this with two slices of life rolled into a memory within your narration!
ReplyDeleteThis pleased me on every level. You beautifully conveyed the precious current connections and the bliss in reverie. And the seeds and nuts... I'm the ultimate fan. Perhaps we each was a bird in another time, another place. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love how the last line pulls everything together.
ReplyDeletePistachios do have an intoxicating scent, don't they? I love the mixture of exotic and everyday in this one, Ayala.
ReplyDeleteI feel like you allowed me in to your life for a moment. You create a sense of place and treat my senses to all sorts of experiences. Really enjoyed this, Ayala.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you play with the idea of the seed, as a snack, as a meal for a bird, as - in your last line - the forebear of all life.
ReplyDeleteI also like the way your poem links the three generations of your family. Lovely.
Very good - strong ending.
ReplyDeleteI would too, I would too... let me! Great piece ayala
ReplyDelete