As Simple As An Onion

Today I've decided to go back and reflect on the poem "The Traveling Onion" by Naomi Shihab Nye. First reading the poem, I did not get why someone would write a poem about an onion. Not being an expert on poetry, I found it odd. Going back and rereading the poem, for me, gave it a deeper meaning. I don't think Naomi is literally talking about an onion, but instead the small miracles of life we don't appreciate. We all go through our day to day lives not realizing what we have or how far we have come, a lot of what we have is taken for granted. I think this relates to this part of the poem:

How at meal, we sit to eat,
commenting on texture of meat, or herbal aroma,
but never on the translucence of the onion,
now limp, now divided,
of it's traditionally honorable career

We always look for what is right in front of us, the easiest way out of a problem, the end product, but never what it takes to get there. I am always thankful for what I have, but never for the process it took to attain what I have.  I like how the author took something as simple as an onion and could relate it to such a bigger picture. I enjoyed reading this poem, because it was easier for me to depict because I struggle with understanding poetry.