Feast in the Middle of Nowhere

We had endured
The monotony
Of relatively tasteless
Construction camp
Cuisine there in Iraq
For a bit longer
Than any of us desired,
When a guy
With a South Texas flair
Showed up.
It was obvious
He relished eating
By his girth,
And he came prepared
To do just that.
He had a whole kitchen
Full of pots and pans,
His own barbeque
And gas grill,
And all the ingredients
Needed for a feast,
And what he didn’t have
Was quickly scavenged
From the Iraqi cooks.
Those of us who had
Never experienced
Southwestern cuisine,
Cooked to perfection,
Were in for a surprise,
But even those of us
Who had grown up
On baked beans
Mexican fajitas,
And home made tortillas
Were amazed at the
Mouth watering taste of
His southwestern concoctions.
Although I am sure
Simple deprivation
Had something to do
With how sumptuous
And flavorful
The food seemed,
I still rate the feast
As one of the finest meals
I have had anywhere.