Ode to Chopsticks

Raw chopsticks by Kyaw Naing on Pexels.com

Ode to Chopsticks

Đũa. Hashi. Zhù.
All words to mean chopsticks.
Slow it down, piece by piece, bite by bite
Savor every moment, savor every flavor

Manuevering these batons work our hand-eye coordination
Exercising our brain and training our fingers to be nimble
To grab a single grain of rice is akin to having a superpower
That comes with wielding these double wands effortlessly

China by origin from the days before Confucius,
Where the spoon was hailed king at the dinner table
Then fork and knife seen as violent - they separate, mutilate, cut
Whereas chopsticks graciously poke, prod, unravel, and peel

They cradle our fresh xiao long baos and xiu mais
They lift our hefty noodles nestled in 12-hour simmered broth
They help us flip crispy chicken wings in the air fryer
And dip brisket and rice sheets in a sea salt and sesame oil blend

A harmonious duo created from the basic roots of earth,
To engraved and decorated for each of your brothers and sisters
Of plastics, bamboo, stainless steel, even jade and ivory
This is an ode to chopsticks

Homemade bun bo hue with a pair of chopsticks