The Woman Who Sold Corn on the Cob

On the side of a noisy street

sat a woman.

Day after day,

sun, chilly wind, or rain,

with her iron pan

and glowing embers,

roasting corn and peanuts.

I was a student then,

and after shopping,

before returning to the hostel,

I made sure to stop at her,

to buy a corn on the cob.

It was not only

my love for that street food,

but to quench nostalgia,

as my mother used to give me

wood-fire roasted corn.

Buying from the woman

was also a way to help someone,

trying to earn for her family,

through hard work.

Enduring city noise, pollution,

crowds, leering eyes, sun glare

she quietly roasted her fare.

I hope she is doing better,

in a place which is safer,

for all people who try to earn ethically

deserve to be rewarded.