My daughter's fortune cookie
says that her feet
will touch the soil of many lands
The China King buffet costs twice as much
on Sunday as it does during the week
Somewhere in Pakistan a man has made news
by burying an infant alive
It is less than two months since China
Already I have abandoned my chopsticks skills
for a fork to shovel the rice, stab the chicken
There is a multi-tiered chandelier hanging
over the smeared sneeze guards
on the buffet line, offering french fries,
fried chicken, crab rangoon, and sushi
A potbellied man passes me,
his gray braid swinging unappetizingly
close to the food trays
In the booth next to our table
a middle-aged couple clasp outstretched hands,
heads down, eyes closed, thanking God
for this Chinese buffet
- Peggy