The Traveling Onion

"The Traveling Onion" is a poem written by Naomi Shihab Nye. On the surface, it appears that the speaker is merely comtemplating on how the onion adds flavor to foods we eat on a regular basis. But a closer look reveals something more. "And I would never scold the onion for causing tears. It is right that tears fall for
something small and forgotten." The preceding quote from the poem would be confusing if we viewed the onion as nothing more than a piece of food, a vegetable that adds flavor to soups and meat, something that is
an important ingredient in most foods, but has no significance outside of that context. But the speaker in the poem uses the onion as a representive for all things "small and forgotten." That is, those things or those  people,  which play an integral part in everyday life but whose value often goes unnoticed. Let's take your local garbagemen for example. We don't pay attention to them, don't think about them, and usually, don't have an opinion about them one way or another. But garbagemen are just as important in today's society as
doctors and lawyers. Garbagemen take upon themselves to take away and dispose of all the trash and refuse
that have been piling up in our homes all week long. If it weren't for them, we would have to transport our own trash to the local dump every week. There are other examples. Husbands/fathers who work all week providing for their families, knowing they will have to come home to face nagging wives and complaining children. Wives/mothers who cook, clean, and care for the children and are very much aware that they will
receive little or no gratitude in return. I believe all these things and more are illustrate the "small and forgotten"
of Nye's poem.