Sometimes it happens between aisles
in Waitrose. I mistake marmalade for
kaya, think of toast, mouth "nonsense"—
but not alamak. It leaves slowly: trust God
to curse the tongue with groceries. For even
an epiphany needs some state between
betweens. Too pliable the thought, they say,
will end in nothing to eat. Or: trim only
the edges lah. So I trim, am trying, reading
dialect in tea leaves, pretending winter-rain
in England is monsoon season. Presume cheese
is cheese is cheese. Trust only simple nouns—
despite knowing that potpourri has nothing on
rojak. Ridiculous how a radiator tinkers with
air in reverse. How remembering is
an exercise repeated fruitlessly.
in Waitrose. I mistake marmalade for
kaya, think of toast, mouth "nonsense"—
but not alamak. It leaves slowly: trust God
to curse the tongue with groceries. For even
an epiphany needs some state between
betweens. Too pliable the thought, they say,
will end in nothing to eat. Or: trim only
the edges lah. So I trim, am trying, reading
dialect in tea leaves, pretending winter-rain
in England is monsoon season. Presume cheese
is cheese is cheese. Trust only simple nouns—
despite knowing that potpourri has nothing on
rojak. Ridiculous how a radiator tinkers with
air in reverse. How remembering is
an exercise repeated fruitlessly.
By Abdul Hamid
QLRS Vol. 15 No. 3 Jul 2016
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