Long Basil Poems

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Paint Me As An Event
The Picture of Dorian Gray, a decent fanciful novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde, published in 1890. The novel, the only one written by Wilde, had...

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With these lines I’ll relate an intriguing tale of dubious accuracy
For I Hope to unveil sordid affairs of more than one conspiracy!
Be warned, that though you might be disturbed by the facts I relate?
They are...

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Translation of Eric Mottram’s Twentythird Legal by T. Wignesan

Le vingt-troisième légal

pendant la guerre le peuple devient obéissent de nouveau
plein du respect (et) de la confiance les enfants naïfs dans la foi
la gouvernance nécessaire  ...

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Mother nature oh! Rose of roses!
Mother of all flowers' and smell,
Ylang Ylang! You don't know what it causes!
An aphrodisiac turns you on like hell!

Sandalwood with its masculine warmth poses,
Rosemary clears the head, you can tell,
Peppermint...

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Basil the Bogomil and his good friends were preaching the truth in all its light, about Jesus Christ’s mercy in the world’s pitch darkness. Though they harmed no man or creature, asking for no riches,...

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Food for thought !
Over what has been lost.

Days of long ago - filled with much flavour,
Foods exotic – for the discerning palate to savour.

There was Beef Wellington to enjoy.
Delicious, Lobster Thermador – Oh Boy !

There...

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Translation of Eric Mottram’s TWENTYEIGHTH LEGAL (Part One) by T. Wignesan
 
N.B. If any one is interested in reading the continuation of the extracts of letters that Eric Mottram wrote from America during 1965-66 to...

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those early attempts at a Mexican food
no store bought cardboard taco shells
she had to prepare her own
the appearance of the tortilla press
the arrival of the tortilla holder
became a beginning to a menagerie of new tools...

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IT'S THURSDAY AGAIN ALMOST PENACOST SUNDAY AND HOLY WEEK WE GRAZED THROUGH ASH WEDNESDAY MY MIND FOCUSING ON OUR FAMILY OUTING TAKING FLOWERS TO MA I ALWAYS ADORED THE YELLOW ONES FOR MA AND TINY...

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My Greek grandmother and godmother, cousins,
My grandma baked and cooked homely,
My Nona, my godmother exotically,
Each one perfect, one couldn’t fault either,
Their husbands, playing backgammon
Looked up and winked at each other,
Each one betting a fiver!
Their competitiveness...

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The poetry of the COVID era (read to the end)

Thai pineapple rice. Wonton and Yaki Soba
Tortufo ice cream. Scallopini veal, halva and also soda
Tamago, octopus and yellowtail. Ribs, pasta fagioli.
Meat lover’s pie, sword fish, big...

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Shivering shimmers of scars passed out of my scarlet, scarred past. My ginger demons engulfed the fermented pain as I watched my regal orchid—the fussiest, sacred damsel who jitterbugs as an exiled seraph. Her candlelight...

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Zorba was a friend of mine
momentum of lunacy shine
insane shrieking lunacy
to venture to an exotic island.
Let's be free; snip the strap.

sardonic heart phratry man
Shamans are ritzy ladies!
at the maximum load level
a stampede of race cars
Eternity...

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1/4 cup of chopped shrimp
1/4 chopped crab meat
3 cups of chick peas
1/4 green onions chopped
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons of chopped thyme
2 teaspoons of salt
1 Tablespoon of dehydrated garlic
1 egg yolk

mix well and form...

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This poem is in a style called haibun which uses prose to tell a story, with haiku places
within to bring the story deeper. The haiku must stand on it's own as well as fit into...

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Once a friend of mine invited me for lunch
A celebration he planned for his book launch,
The book was on traditional Indian cuisine, I knew
No very different from its modern cousin or new.
I was hesitant to...

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Waking moments with the strong aroma of coffee percolating throughout the house, I arise.
Drifting through the morning mists, I find my way to the kitchen where the hearth-fire
embers, still warm from the night, glow orange...

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I cry sometimes. Enhancing this deluge of delirium. With a drop which 
flows from my face to the flood of Earth’s clay as I inhale this bitter breeze       ...

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While the waves lash the shores and splash in soft music

The dishes we serve here in this Golden Grain restaurant

Emanate aroma into the nostrils a pungent sweet exclusive

Have you visited this earlier too or how...

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I cannot read small labels, my eyes don’t see so well
The labels on my spices: a culinary hell.

I came up with a system; it’s pretty hard to beat,
‘Cuz most of what I cooked before was...

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Warm Lamb Salad. Sounds  mmm......I've shopped for the
ingredients. Planned my start - as timing is 
all important in  preparing good food…..
and Oh! fresh ingredients. It's obvious I take an interest in
favorable results. My...

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People think plants are not violent 
This is where I will tend to disagree
Have you ever seen a vine strangle a tree?
What about when a fly is devoured by the Venus?
When the weeds clog the...

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The parched sycamore leaf
Walked across the patio
Past the portal of my dwelling

The alder slab was immobilized
By a decorative door stopper
Arranged to let the warm
November day work its way in

I snapped out of the life I...

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Because just like frilly and free curiously whimsical the recently enlightened-yet-quietly-
struggling-humble butterfly, resilient-grasshopper... daintily-grazing-dragonfly's locusts hung 
precariously low dangling-in small but honest-groups-spread-out-all-over-on-the-side and-
cellar-door back-yard and front-porch-door... . Swaying gratefully on-the-ever-defiantly-
flopping-innocently-broken-screens-that-again I tell-you... I thought, I...

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My mother was an excellent cook, not fancy but home cooking,
                  Our kitchen was always full of delicious...

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