i don't understand how you feast with the wolves
and partake in the festives of painstaking fools
but all the while feeding the devil his food
you'll find there's a plate that's been saved just for you

its a spooky spooky night
full of fun and cheer
so she slit her wrists
and left all that she found dear

they trick or treated
down the road
until the seventh house
the lights were on
pumpkins carved
sitting on the porch

no candy bowl in sight
the doorbell rang and rang
children came and others left
alas nobody entered
for who would've thought
on Halloween
she'd given up, surrendered.

midnight passed
the sun arose
yet, nobody knew
her corpse lay fresh
eyes wide and
mouth sitting agape.

days went past
a week at most
and the neighbours came to check
cause little Johnny smelt a smell
that made his tummy wrecked

this Halloween
the kids all run
right past the seventh house
because one by one
the lights turn on
telling us she's there
to celebrate the festives
on that spooky spooky night.

Still cold since fall, December
Comes with empty trees, season's starter
Blankets gotten out, woods go ember
Ends the counting, Happy new year!

Newest year starts with January
Continues festives and parties
With snow and ice, comes drinks and poetry
Decorations stays still,cones and a tree

Third and final, February’s the last
For kids and lovers, it seems the best!
Keep enjoying folks, while it lasts
Because 28th of the month, is where it ends!

Talking to my mom.
Over a video call.
Chatting about spices and food.
And my expedition on discovering new food stalls.
At a sudden, in the middle of the call,

We both started dreaming of eating pakoras
In our old home's hall.
We remembered that day — a day of our daily chores —
When we got a visit, sudden, from our relatives loved by all.
We sat in a similar setting,
Like we do on festives —
Some on sofa, some on chairs borrowed from our neighbours who just came from a wedding.
We all greeted each other, embarrassingly happy to receive those gifts.

Anxious but with a speed of light,
Mom went to kitchen and started the festival of a besan's savory delight.
She wrapped all the vegetables she bought for dinner
With the spicy yellow coat.
Fried them in wok where oils danced, praising the deity of fire.
Praising my mom for this ingenious delicacy,
The guests started to pick the pakoras served on their silverware —
Yes, the one — sacred and rare.
All my cousins started devouring pakoras plate on
plate,
Making my mother more anxious — how to cook and serve at this pacing rate.
And her eyes keenly watched the bottle of depleting tomato sauce and a bowl — half-finished, freshly made — pudina chutney.

Suddenly, our Sunday turned back to Monday.
Since,
To her rescue, Dad bought pakoras from our local shop.
Varieties were similar, same as served as early —
Onion, potato, mirchi — served with a differently styled red tamarind chutney.
I am in grave danger adding this line in the end,
For I can be receiving a flying chappal from a distance.
Legends say — always skip saying "they were delicious" in front of Mom if you can (Dad, himself, said it).
A well-fed holiday.
And that's how we celebrated the festival of pakoras
Which our stomach felt reverend.

Les vents chauds et humides soufflés par
Les vagues de l'océan Pacifique
        me transportent,
À ma joyeuse enfance, l'été en vacances
Sur les côtes françaises de l'Atlantique

Liquide glacé adoucissant une peau mate,
        parfois brûlée
Violente nature et pourtant apaisante
Les rouleaux qui m’emportent,
Comme un goût de sel qui s'empare de mes papilles
Et un doux souvenir de mes grands-parents

L'agréable odeur des pins à l'apogée de leur floraison,
Les pistes cyclables que je pourrais parcourir, yeux fermés
Les apéritifs quand le soleil brille toujours fort à dix-neuf heures
Avant son coucher, finalement
Aphrodisiaque des nuits festives qu'offrent les mois chauds de France

Une euphorie qu'on sait courte comme l'été
Pourtant éternelle comme le cycle des saisons

Et une période de ma vie courte elle aussi
Mais impérissable grâce à la nostalgie à laquelle,
        je ne céderai pas.