- Non-Erotic Poetry
- Hot-and-Sour Fish Hot Pot
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To taste the steam
clouds on tablecloth
the sweet, the sour -- sugar, spice
in white bowls and saucers
chopsticks, and ladles.
If it was now, if it was you
would you go, would you fight?
"No way," they agree
"It would be brother fighting brother.
Wars don't solve anything."
Catfish, okra and jalapeno
a nutty fried garlic, sweet pineapple
and they can taste the past
something they don't remember
something they never had.
In Vietnam it was bong lau
instead of catfish, bacha not celery
yet memories of Saigon
drift in the steam, tasted
in words of their parents.
The rice falls from a spoon
sinks to the bottom, mixing
Hot-and-Sour Fish Hot Pot
they taste it in the steam
a place they never knew.
Note: the words in quotes were spoken by Vietnamese-American College students in an article titled "The Things We Still Carry" by Robb Walsh.
- COMMENTS
Wanton Vixxxenalmost 19 years agowas the perfect ingredients of past warring nations and present attitudes of the same. And now the new generations of these same countries are tasting the strong flavors of a better belief. This was the soup for the world's soul. Thank you for serving it today.
Vixxx
Anonymousalmost 19 years ago...are so easily triggered by taste and smell, even memories we never really had.
"they taste it in the steam
a place they never knew."
This is a lovely, evocotive poem neatly weaving several angles into a whole.
Tess
WickedEvealmost 19 years agoThis is really good. I had to read it a few times. Definitely interesting. Thanks for the read. :)
