in front of me yams and a slow cooker

Earlier today as I was chopping yams for a casserole that Tadzio loves, I was reminded of this poem by Ishigaki Rin.

There have been for ages
Objects always placed
In front of us women,
A pot of sufficient size
To match our strength and
A ricepot designed especially for fat
Simmering shiny rice and
In front of the glow from the fire that we have inherited from the
beginning of history
Were always our mothers and grandmothers and their mothers also.

What amount of love and faithfulness
Did they pour into these objects?
At times it was red carrots
Black kelp
Diced fish

In the kitchen
There always occurred the correct preparations for breakfast and lunch
and dinner
Before the preparations there were always rows of
Warm hands and knees.

Ah were it not for these rows of people
How could the women have so cheerfully
Done the cooking time and time again?
This is the face of an indefatigable love
This is the face of service performed day after day so that it becomes a
matter of routine.