A lab produces
anxieties on
large scale. A
doctor’s eyes
strand on the
cholesterol
while sailing
down the lab
report. But his
words remain
unabsorbed
on her brain’s
surface. Her
mind is a dead
zone of little
learning, where
cholesterol
doesn’t grow.
The doctor
forbids*biriani,
ghee-rice, fried
beef, mutton
chops… A
deadpan smile
spreads on her
wizened lips.
Each forbidden
food has been
beyond her
penury since
times immemorial.
*biriani – a South Asian dish.
First printed in The Literary Hatchet (issue # 16)
Categories:
biriani, inspirational,
Form: Free verse
Rice soaked and yellowed
in steaming, spiced curry
dance around the cooking bowl,
as they collide with chicken legs
and thighs once in a while...
My family sits around the table,
with anticipation visible
with their salivation. They can
smell a Swahili cuisine
from the dining room.
Patiently,
I wait for stew above the rice
to disappear,
then I give the green light
with sounds of cutlery
and wine glasses....
Date Published: 6/24/2016
Categories:
biriani, art, family, food, imagery,
Form: Free verse