We are content with our mango ginger soup and butternut squash ravioli,
freshly baked bread and slow cooked lentils in a cherry tomato puree.
And since many wonder how we survive with less protein,
our sides include chick-peas cutlets, cooked clean.

Low maintenance that we are, give us a mushroom risotto in a bed of truffle oil any day,
or delight us with creamy paneer and saffron rice served on a platter with silver inlay.

At establishments that choose to limit their vegetarian options,
we’re happy to graze on our beet salad assembled with perfection.

When asked, “What can we get you madame? For vegetarians, we have fish cooked in sour cream and onion.”
We smile, “Not to be a contrarian,”
but we’re vegetarians, not  pescatarians.”

Well then, he would remark, “Our sweet potato soup is a specialty.”
We ask about the broth and he creases his forehead every so slightly,
“Just with chicken broth, lips pressed tightly.”
We smile through the process, it isn’t so awful,
and think to ourselves, we aren’t so novel!”

We can happily gaze at your shrimp tempura,
And lamb chops and herb roasted chicken,
Doesn’t bother us, not even a smidgen.

We can patiently graze on roots and tubers
and stay within the contours of our plates
dipping the freshly made chips
into the avocado and olive tapenade.

When a friend’s fork ensconced in the steak digs into the same dip,
marrying the remnants of their steak juice without a slip.
The tapenade also bids adieu to our limited options.
So, you see we are not curmudgeons,
Just vegetarian epicureans!

So while you pass around your juicy wings or succulent ribs,
what falls, adorns your bibs.
And drip if you must,
Skip that plate that is treasuring its borders, in you we trust!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash