Loaves and Fishes in Oaxaca

In response to CC5: My life lesson while traveling

Christmas Eve sent chilly breezes

Across the cobblestones and through the plazas,

Where lights and moles, red and green

Primed us for a nuevo restaurant scene.

We arrived well past dark, the custom there

In light dresses made for summer air;

We longed for starters as the clock struck nine

In a courtyard built of stone and vine;

We three shivered. The staff brought shawls

Knitted in bright colors, muy bonita, for the girls

We dug into chapulines with lime:

The stars stretched out above, infinite as time.

Soon a puppy greeted us as this is Mexico:

A wet nose and tail wag from el perro

Went perfectly with frijoles negro and pozole

We never missed our Tex Mex or guacamole.

The waiters heard the winds howl and felt snow,

So they built un poco del fuego

In the midst of all our tables, on the bricks,

The glow impressed the guests and did the trick.

This was the night of loaves and fishes:

Out of nothing, servers granted wishes,

Warmed our palates and our hearts anew

When they could have fed us, solamente, off the menu.

This poem is a response to a CC5 article contest by Winston and Sharing Randomly.

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