Cultivars of the onion, it is white fleshed and tinged
with red, as though double-edged,
offering the world a sweet alternative–
I have grown to love its body,
for what it is;
a portal, a metaphysical speculation that inveigles the
human mind with tears as its price.
With papery outer skin; a red onion is only
as pungent as its age.
It consists of raw nerve that pierces the soul
like a song
and brings me to my knees,
such a glorious way to surrender, considering
that the sky
is an embroidered patchwork of bluish-grey afterthought.
And now, I dice with wild abandon,
make love to inner demons
and grin with sated lust,
a red onion reminds that we are only as
defeated as we choose to be,
either fully
or with the intent to breathe poetry
from a delicate
ribcage full of burning midday sun; the choice is ours.
Photo credits: Wang Fine Art: Two Onions, Pinterest.
Posted for Poetics: Peeled Away @dVerse Poets Pub
A beautiful and romantic ode to the perfect red onion, Sanaa! I love the idea that it is ‘double-edged’, ‘a portal, a metaphysical speculation that inveigles the / human mind with tears as its price’.
Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄💙
I love the passion specially with: And now, I dice with wild abandon.
Love the sky’s description with an embroidered patchwork of bluish-grey afterthought.
Sumptuous poem, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Grace 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄💙
I love the idea of the onion inveigling.
I love “I have grown to love its body,
for what it is;”
And that ending stanza, or perhaps just the beginning. Wonderful description. Wonderful poetry, Sanaa.❤️
*perhaps it is just the beginning😉
Thank you so much, Melissa 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄💙
(and thank you for the glorious prompt) 🥂
The choice has always been ours, we just may not have realized it. Beautiful poem, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄💙
I shall think twice before taking a knife to an onion again 🙂
Thank you so much, Jane 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄💙
“It consists of raw nerve that pierces the soul
like a song” This is quite something. I will definitely look at onions differently after reading your well-crafted poem. Thank you for sharing!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Miriam 😀 so glad you liked it 💄💙
What a delight, Sanaa. I am thinking of you now as you “dice with wild abandon,”
I’m going to be thinking of that red onion on my counter quite differently now. 🙂
Thank you so much, my dearest Merril 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄💙
Wonderful lines, Sanaa! Such great imagery as you find self-discovery in the onion!
I love this line:
a red onion reminds that we are only as
defeated as we choose to be,
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄💙
“the sky
is an embroidered patchwork of bluish-grey afterthought. ”
Wow!!! That blew me away
Much💖love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so good to see you 💄💙
Much love back 🥂
What metaphors are here – I agree with Kim on the lines “a portal, a metaphysical speculation that inveigles the
human mind with tears as its price” and Melissa on that last stanza and with Merril imagining you dicing with wild abandon…
Thank you so much, Andrew 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄💙
*APPLAUSE!*
💙💙💙💙
“I have grown to love its body,
for what it is;
a portal, a metaphysical speculation that inveigles the
human mind with tears as its price.”
I’m not sure how you do it but you wrench every bit of existential angst and soulful rumination out of every particle of every word as in the lines quoted, and it all makes perfect sense to the heart and to the mind. The metaphor of the portal is perfect for the poem: to enter into life fully, tears may be shed, but the reward is multifaceted discovery.
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Dora 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄💙
Love the analysis, the interpretations, the depth. You’ve taken an onion to places I’ve never imagined. I especially love….”I have grown to love its body, for what it is; a portal, a metaphysical speculation that inveigles the human mind with tears as its price.” So beautiful, Sanaa!
Thank you so much, Mish 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄💙
Fabulous ❤️
💙💙💙💙
“a portal, a metaphysical speculation that inveigles the human mind with tears as its price.” I love this so much, Sanaa. What a great analysis. 💖
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Colleen 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄💙
Your beautiful poem Sanaa is delicious!
“With papery outer skin; a red onion is only
as pungent as its age.
It consists of raw nerve that pierces the soul
like a song
and brings me to my knees”
Stunning! 😍
Thank you so much, Christine 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄💙
Your poеm is a bеautiful еxploration of thе onion’s symbolism and its profound impact on thе human еxpеriеncе. I can fееl your lovе for thе onion’s body and its significancе in your lifе. Your words about dicing with wild abandon, making lovе to innеr dеmons, and grinning with satеd lust showcasе thе transformativе powеr of thе rеd onion. It rеminds us that wе havе thе choicе to еithеr bе dеfеatеd or brеathе poеtry from within, offеring hopе and еmpowеrmеnt. Thank you for sharing this hеartfеlt and еmotionally chargеd poеm. 👍👏👌😊🙏
Thank you so much, Pankaj 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄💙