(non) Sense Of Sweetness Poem by Ashik Mahmud

The sweetest colour of orange
May bloom for the dry poles,
The sweetest colour of star apple
May switch season for black holes,
The sweetest colour of strawberry
Can tease all eyes with juicy and caramelized marry.

Nothing is sweeter than the hypothalamus-
Only it knows what sweet really is!
We just pretend to feel through that part,
And we call it as sweet;
Rest of us just chews and sharpens the teeth.
It's nothing when stomachs have it-
Stomachs know only acids, proteins
or carbohydrates or any chemicals;
It has no sense as sweet or sour or bitter.

Tamarind enzymes of sappy tongue wait to taste,
how do I lose the taste in a fever?
Why no bitterness fails to be swallowed in chickenpox?
It's the moment- I only remember the signal
From the Hypothalamus, again and again
I remember and believe that sweetness exists
when I see an orange, a star apple and blueberry.

Actually, I have learned to pretend-
Myths that some are sweet and other bitter,
There are tastes that can be learned
Seasoned and Conditioned, as natural as gooey chocolate
Things become the tastes,
Tastes become the word;
Not to the tongue-hypnotized and fat
Only Hypothalamus is real!
Tastes are just temporary deal!
Don't you believe me?
Just ask your dog-
Has it ever known something as the word 'bitter' or ‘sweet'?
Or, ask your parrot-Why does it never sweat
After chewing the best chilies?