Three Poems by Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca

 

Advice From a Poet Father

 

It's quite simple, really,
So my poet father said:
Scald the China tea kettle,
Swirl hot water inside.
Toss the water out.
Place tea leaves, fragrant, waiting,
In the scalded teapot.
Pour boiling water over,
Cover with a cozy, simple or fancy.
Leave it to rest
In reverie
In calming solitude for ten minutes.
Allow it to achieve magical fusion.

Meanwhile,

Enter the adjoining room,
Pen in hand,
Craft a poem,
Let words blend like steeping tea.

Return to the brewed serenity,
Sip at the kitchen table or
Stand by the spiral staircase,
Watch the cat, lazily sunning.
Gaze at the lemon tree,
Its leaves lush, green and yellow,
In the garden below.

Tea tastes better this way.
Return to your poem.
Revise line by line.
Tea and poetry, hand in hand,
Flavours mingling with imagery.

Now you have a good poem.
Patience, Poetry, Pottery—
Fine companions, indeed.

 

Anytime Prayer

 

Grandfather was knowledgeable about Nutrition

Much ahead of his time,

He ate raw garlic which had a smell  

He took long walks with long strides

And talked about the benefits of jogging,

‘Chew, Chew, Chew your food

Thoroughly’,

He kept saying

At meal times, that bothered us

Both grandma and me.

 

Lord, in this era of health consciousness

And so much overwhelming information

About what to eat and what not to eat

(Like one day chocolate is good for you and the next day bad)

Help me to remember grandfather,

But send me Manna

From heaven

I’m sure it smells sweeter

Than raw garlic,

And I will not grumble.

Morning Prayer

When will you visit me Lord?

You do not need an appointment

The tea has ginger in it
And I am ready.

Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca - In a career spanning over four decades, Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca has taught English in Indian colleges, AP English in an International School nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains in India, and French and Spanish in private schools in Canada. Her poems are featured in various journals and anthologies, including the Journal Of Indian Literature published by the Sahitya Akademi and the Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English. Kavita has authored two collections of poetry, ‘Family Sunday and Other Poems’ and ‘Light of The Sabbath.’ Her poem ‘How To Light Up a Poem,’ was nominated for a Pushcart prize in 2020. Kavita is the daughter of the late poet Nissim Ezekiel. Her name Kavita means poem in Sanskrit. She was born and raised in Bombay, India, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada. Many of her poems celebrate the city of her birth and her Indian Jewish heritage.

Two Poems by dan smith

 

         

Being

                                                                                                                     

the Assyrian Empire       

took centuries to develop 

and everyone knows it took 

Rome more than a few days 

a few people have heard of Sargon 

although most think it’s some 

powerful new detergent- 

wrapped in our troubles  

we think little of the past  

and less of the future 

as most fail to grasp 

the long game and  

dreams at best fail 

and Sidney Bechet moved 

to Paris ( France ) not Texas 

sticklers for “ The Truth “ 

should probably not be reading this poem 

it’s not government issue 

and it’s not any anti stuff either 

is it about our hearts burning bright 

or the more raging fires next time 

or is it about even having a next time- 

I don’t mind telling you 

it’s cataclysmic  I know 

this is a run-on sentence  

but it’s better than a run-in  

sentence or a reined-in sentence 

I hate those- 

 

Kierkegaard and Sartre  

didn’t know a wet bulb 

from a tulip 

but I know you exist 

my tattooed Walgreens angel 

and I’ve figured it out 

this is a love poem-

Between the Ears


I used to run outside
where you could hear so much-
The trees shouting “ hug me “
and the birds reply “ you’re
so damn needy ”-
Now inside on the treadmill
at the Community college
with the same songs 

over and over 

in almost the same
rotation –
I think how I
used to run outside
and how I never really listened.

dan smith has been widely published in print and on-line in such diverse journals as The Rhysling Anthology, Dwarf Stars, Gas Station Famous, Deep Cleveland Junk Mail Oracle, Jerry Jazz Musician and Lothlorien Poetry Journal to name a few. You can hear some poems from the Matinee Motel CD by dan smith and The Deep Cleveland Trio, if you search the old internet hard enough. His most recent poems can be found at Five Fleas Itchy Poetry and dadakuku.