12 NOON

The door opens, a bell rings
Men and women laugh and talk
Their voices mingle, and blend together
Frying grease and burning flames
The register dings, loose change jingles
Cars roar by on the highway

Grilling burgers’ heavenly scent
Clouds the air, assaults the mind
Tells a man it is time to eat.
Like a lioness on the prowl,
The savanna sun beating down,
Steam from the dirt below
and heat from the sky above
Her prey in sight, she licks her lips,
Her belly growls.

A yellow haze permeates the earth-
The world is bright, the sun is high,
Hungry children, it is time
To drink from the waters
Time to eat from our bounty
Time to fill your belly
and smile when sated.

A fat trucker rips off a bite of a freshly grilled burger,
and chews it slow.
Sour pickles, bitter onions, crisp lettuce, floury bun-
He chews it slow.

A loud slurp as a little girl gulps down her drink-
Sweet, syrupy grape soda,
Ice cold stinging-
It sticks to her smiling face

An old man rips into his steak,
With grilled black and brown skin,
And juicy pink meat inside,
Smothered in tangy barbeque
Huge, salty fries,
steaming out that warm, dirt potato smell-
his mouth wobbles as he eats.

The clock ticks by, as the minutes fly-
Soon they are satiated, their stomachs filled-
They walk and drive away.
The hour is passed, the sun begins to fall-
Morning fades, and night draws near.
Until tomorrow, when the zenith sun
Tells man to feast again...
Until then, they dream of noon .

Kenneth Stocking