Parting is the parsley
that adorns a juicy steak:
the one you put aside;
the one you save for last.
You watch it soaked in gravy
waiting for the waitress
as you calculate her tip
and realize the parsley will be left,
like our silent parting.
We never said goodbye
much less au revoir.
Parting Century by Nicholas Roerich
Today it’s Walt saying goodbye as bartender at dVerse and he wants us to write poetry on the topic of goodbye. Too often we part without saying goodbye, and for those of you who don’t know French, au revoir means we’ll meet again. Au revoir Walt.
—
November 8, 2016
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Nicely done, Björn!
Again with the parsley??? You are just nasty. 😛
nasty man
Are you making sure I know you’re bold? Or are you mocking my tendency to begin or end my sentences with “man” … 😉
Ha 🙂
You’re not nasty. You’re too sweet to be nasty.
🙂
Oh, brilliant metaphor!
Very nice.
Yeah, I can definitely do parsley! Thanks, Bjorn>
Vivid definition of au revoir. The parsley so bitter and yet so lovely.
Nicely done indeed! And saving the best til last…
Of au revoir…whale meat again, perhaps the juiciest of steak…:o]
Kind regards
Anna :o]
Very interesting.
Delicious metaphor, Bjorn. This might be the first time (at least that I can remember) that a metaphor makes me sad and hungry… at the same time.
Way back when I was single, never married, we had a going away party for a buddy going into the service. Thing was that we didn’t get the party going soon enough, his sister said he had departed for the Army.
Then another, a work buddy, years later, died. His body was snowed in up in Wisconsin but we had the funeral anyway. We had always said that he would be late for his own funeral.
Sort of leaves one empty.
BTW, was computing the size of the tip a diversion or an aside? Or the telling of a snow storm in Wisconsin?
..
YES. Perfection.
Au revoir, Walt, indeed!
I love it when you take simple moments and make them into something profound. You’re good at it.
A very original metaphor! And a sentiment we all echo.
Au revoir parsley.
A tasty metaphor and beautiful au revoir :o)
I always appreciate a great steak (home-raised)! Au revoir is a beautiful way to say goodbye (thanks for translation).
Excellent metaphor! Love your work here and one of my favorites by you. 🙂
P.S Got a new poem. 🙂
And that’s why I go for cilantro… a nice write that leaves me hungry for more.
Eat the parsley right up front…it’s the steak that’s worth savoring 😉
I am one of the people that save their favourite or best looking food on the side of the plate, like saving the best for last. This is why I see your poem as something, let us say an obstacle or a duty that a protagonist overcomes and gets what he wants.
I also love that you included French, I always find it extra interesting to see a mixture of languages in a poem.
How gently you express seething pain within!!…..specially in line: “like our silent parting”…… Superb 🙂