A Wish for Plenty

Hunger feels like pincers,

like the bite of crabs,

it burns and has no fire.

Hunger is a cold fire.

Let us sit down to eat

with all those who haven’t eaten;

let us spread great tablecloths,

put salt in the lakes of the world,

set up planetary bakeries,

tables with strawberries in snow,

and a plate like the moon itself

from which we can all eat.

For now I ask no more

than the justice of eating

from “The Great Tablecloth” by Pablo Neruda