Dept. of Transportation
Metro Transit Division

King Street Center
201 S Jackson St
Seattle, WA 98104
Metro Online Home

Ritual

Text version below

Ritual

My grandmother showed me how to
find small stones scattered
through dry grains of rice slow prelude to
rinsing
simmering
waiting.

At the table, steaming rice
warmed our faces as we listened
for my grandmother's reminder:
"Two scoop, give two scoop;
one scoop bad luck."

My grandmother is gone now,
but I know how to find small stones
among pearl grains of rice.

Laraine Hong
Newcastle