“If You Go to Bed Hungry” by Angela Narciso Torres (poetry ’09)
An excerpt from “If You Go to Bed Hungry” by Angela Narciso Torres (poetry ’09), published by Poetry.
If You Go to Bed Hungry
If you go to bed hungry, your soul will get up and steal cold rice from the pot.
Stop playing with fire before the moon rises or you’ll pee in your sleep.
Sweeping the floor after dark sweeps wealth and good fortune out the door.
Fork dropped: a gentleman will visit. Spoon: a bashful lady.
Bathing after you’ve cooked over a hot stove makes the veins swell.
For safe passage to the guest who leaves mid-meal: turn your plate.
