Aromatic Fingerprints Of Culinary Poetry

By Dr Smita Sriwastav

As I whisk

an eggnog latte morning

in my aromatic kitchen,

to splatter on

lavender skies of November

banana pancake

smiles are buttered on

steaming frying pan minutes

as mixed fruit jam giggles

nap within sugar lorn jars

of sunshine.

Brownies are

sweet-tooth temptations

hiding within airtight secrets

of midnight cravings,

their throats parched for

molten chocolate drizzles,

embossed porcelain winks

with mischief in

the kitchen cupboards,

old anecdotes bubbling

within their silent lips.

A packet

of green tea leaves,

lies ignored and forgotten

in a corner,

like those withered promises

of healthful living,

and dried lemon zest

scents the shelves with

citric metaphors of poetry.

The cookie jar

sits high up with luscious bites,

riddled in choco-chips,

peering down with a disparaging gaze

at meagre oat biscuits

layered on platters

of dieting aspirations,

bananas crack jokes on window sill

leering at the grapes

fast asleep in the fruit basket,

and red pomegranates

snooze in sultry afternoons

dreaming of long lost orchards.

Chimney is a chain smoker,

coughing out soot clouds

on skylines,

an exhaust fan whirls

scattering spicy epithets in

the autumn sunshine,

pressure cooker hoots at

simmering curry,

and grated cheese melts

in sighs of brewing concoctions

imagined by an ancient cook top.

By Dr Smita Sriwastav