Food (I Am Longing For Food, Mum Cooked) Poem by U Win Kyi

When I was a kid,
in a far, far village I lived.
My parents kept cows, goats and pigs.
They also planted vegetable and fruit...so juicy and big.
I drank plenty of milk...so fresh.
I ate beef, mutton and pork in big chunk...so red.
Mum cooked the home-grown food,
for my health they were so good.

Now I live in a city.
My work keeps me so busy.
I eat hamburger, french-fries and take-away,
almost every day.
from chinese restaurants and fast-food chains.
I drink energy-boosting beverage laced with coccaine.

Now there are news about cooking oil,
The restaurants are telling a big lie.
A surprise check found out they renewed the oil once a week.
A far cry from standard need.
For making a big profit,
they use the old oil for frying chip.
Cooking the oil for more than 6 hours,
will cause it..more acidic and sour,
producing a substance called Acrylamide,
a cancer-causing toxin for human life.
Excessive use of preservative chemical in bun and bread,
so that they can be sold longer on the shelves.

Eating these food I must stop,
otherwise my life expectency will be short.
I am longing for food, my Mum cooked,
though not as colorful as those in gourmet book.