How To Cut A Jackfruit Poem by Rati Saxena

To cut a jackfruit, one needs
a knife, not poetry
But the knife's edge must be as sharp as the euphemism of a poem
Jackfruit should have two torsos in the middle, so that the
chorus and stanza
of the poem can be split apart
Then the big torsos should be gradually cut into small pieces
In a pan full of water, the steamed pieces
become tender just as poetry
takes on the meaning gradually, layer by layer
Let the jackfruit become so fragrant with a pinch of chili,
turmeric, aroma of fennel, sourness of mustard, and garam
masala
that one feels hungry and tempted to cook the degchi
Let the pieces of jackfruit, soaked in mustard oil,
sleep in a glass jar for a few days
as if freshly written poetry is cooking to be served
Now leave the jackfruit aside and pick up the poem
Poetry doesn't need jackfruit
but emotion to become ripe
As far the poet is concerned,
s/he can live anywhere...

Translated by Shelly Bhoil