Poetry 2017 Shortlist Devika Dhond

Spices of A Spouse

Ketchup
Tangy tomato, heady tongue
Repelling, incessant tow
Hot sweet, chilly meringue
Love for brawl, brawl for love

Chutney
Culture, mixture, grounded
Suspended diphase, homemade
Green, orange, white, off shade
Vain unaided, miraculous with aid

Wasabi-Soya
Sizzling mustard, Horseradish, sushi
Rampant, pungent, fiery, teary
Sweetened ginger, damage control
Bored, Drilled, Drilled, Bored

Salsa
Dance, sing, blow, kick
Raw, Taco, Wild, Rooster’s beak
Fused, mingled, unified, whisked
Tossed, swirled, twisted, kissed

Mayo
Downy, illustrious, melt in the mouth
Fiddles run over the collar
Slimy, turtles, greasy tips
Leaps into the body, lips to hips