When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Is how the saying goes

But life hasn’t given me lemons in years

It gives me oranges or broccoli 

Things both unusual and unlikable

It doesn’t seem to care what I think, or want

Just gives the opportunity to adapt

So I make orange juice 

Or broccoli casserole 

Or some other dish

In order to keep going

On and on

Without any hope of lemons 

Their acidic brightness missing in action

Life, in this way, is like a lemon itself

Bittersweet, with a sour aftertaste

It’s a process like cooking

Where you need more than just one ingredient, more than just one person

You need sugar, spices and much more

Friends, family and many little things

For everything to turn out right

Broccoli casserole 

And orange juice is good, too

I have learned with time 

The world turns without my consent

The seasons change 

And I do, as well

Little after little, growing more and more

The thing I have gathered

After all these years

Is that nothing stays the same

Or goes exactly as planned

New ingredients are presented

And all you can do is work with what you have

Against every odd

I make the casserole

And the juice

And even find a recipe for orange broccoli salad with a lemon vinaigrette

And remember that

Life isn’t fair to me

Because I’m the one who has to make it be