Sunday, 15 May 2011

A tale of two chefs



Two li'l naughty youngsters 

                                           got down to d' lab of kitchen,

in tidy decent chef costumes,

                                             tried to play cook-cook game


One took over as head chef, 

other not permitted to assist

fresh tea brewed and served

 li'l water then tea, she did insist


That's d' protocol, do follow,

conveyed her strict instruction

no professional tea maker, yet

tea superb!, owed appreciation



For d' hilarious recipe try outs, 

kitchen the fit site, aptly chosen

rice, pulses measured and rinsed,

vegetables, a rigorous bath  given 


Assistant assigned slicing task,

 used to human tissue incision 

vegetables cut to subtle pieces,

for d' artistic job no hesitation



                        Lashings of vibrations of love,

from the cuisine maker's mind

No cooking range, no oven, yet

d' recipes were, only of its kind


Flour kneaded, dough balls made,

 roti rolled with slender fingers

no grinder to make spice paste,

squatted gently on kitchen floor





Slid  back to d' paleo-lithic age,

to manoeuvre d' grinding stone

smashed & ground ginger, garlic,

cardamom, cumin, cinnamon



Aroma diffused in entire house,

though kept ajar d' kitchen door


mouth watering recipes ready,


beyond restraint, can't ignore


To fry, cook, put salt pepper,

head chef found unduly busy 

 wisdom used, assessed, tasted, 

cooking a trickery, not so easy

 Session over, d' head chef gone,

 but telephonic queries still on

regarding excess salt in curry,

she had a lot of apprehension


Ate food, delicacy not enjoyed,

know no art to make complaint


no wish to out wit d' fellow chef,

innocent as a dumb monument



Now the lab a deserted island,

more silent than a burial deck

 no more adventures, no thrills,

no challenges, no lively stakes


Food making just a gentle plea,

had marvy time, chit chatting, 

to argue, fight, show bossism,

plainly a game so enchanting


Now d' kitchen visited less often,

if d' hunger at its Everest peak

food, no food, it's of no concern,

missing d' chef makes me sick



No more colourful, 

 it's a lustreless kitchen 

Monday, 9 May 2011

My stars made me a favour




 On a routine evening walk,

I went to the countryside

came across an alien sight,

on d' way back from d' stride




From nearby irrigation canal,

to fill up a half dried up pond


by a stout black rubber pipe,


in force water being siphoned


Strained after the brisk walk,

took a break for a short while

in d' sizzling summer evening,

 
stood to see d' water filling drill



Sun setting fast, dusk unfurling,

steady water plummeting sound

lone viewer fully absolved in it,

no other soul found all around



To see it from a close range, 

casually I moved little closer

my reflexes threw me back,

had a glimpse of d' crawlers

Saw snakes lazily crawling,

I got a severing in d' spine

few eagerly waited to catch,

live hopping fishes to dine



Focusing at d' flowing stream,

 fishes caught like basket balls

stretching d' jaws wide apart, 

look as fish grasping oracles



A truly amazing prey ground,

but an obvious scaring sight

shining fishes gulped in toto,

wait for d' next turn in quiet



Saw two cobras lifting hoods,

an added God given privilege

I enjoyed from a safe distance,

a scope to study other snakes,


Soon came a startling climax,

a big fish jumped to d' bank 

did acrobatics, thump! hop.op,

bounced back to pond, splash!



Before I realised d' scenario,

make an attempt to capture 

it dissipated in its safe abode,

impulse died down, thrill over



Witnessed d’ striking scene,

inscribed in d' mind for ever

for glimpse of d' wacky episode

my stars made me a favour