Ketaki paints word-images that bring alive grandma’s kitchen and kitchen garden and more, in this verse, exclusively for Different Truths.

The fragrance of the hand crushed leaves excites me.
A deliciously fresh tanginess that wafts deep
into my being, my very core.
My conscious and unconscious thoughts seep the freshness, 
nostalgic smiles, alluringly beckons to my senses.
I dream of the untold, but feel deeply, 
fragrances intertwined lovingly.
I dream of my white sari-clad grandma’s kitchen,
Of her culinary delights and green piled-up, 
lemons from her trees.
A squeezed drop on freshly grilled prawns,
On crumb fried, sizzling Bhetki fish,
a gin and tonic refresher or a virgin fresh lime soda.

The abundant flowers in her garden, bloomed white, 
crumbly lemon flowers, shed like snow.
Fruits of joy, baby lemons erupted
joyfully, on thorny branches.
The breeze whispered happily, 
caressed the orbs of growing green lemons delightedly.
A bountiful abundance, hanging enticingly, 
like designer baubles,
against the blue Zephyr sky.
They turned passionately to the sun for the ripening,
to golden yellow bonanzas.
The air throbbed in anticipation as the birds watched, 
fluffing their feathers at the transformation.
A swarm of butterflies visited.
The beauty and the thorns forbid plundering, 
protecting the young plump virgins.
All wait for the joy of nature’s completion.
Golden orbs…harvesting of richness,
Fragrancing our life.

Picture design by Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Ketaki Mazumdar

Ketaki Mazumdar is an educationist and received the National Award for Excellence in Teaching from the then President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Passionate about poetry, her latest book of poems, “Woodsmoke and Embers” and she, are listed in the ‘Top 50 Most Influential Authors of 2021’, by Delhiwire. Her poems have immense depth, are evocative and deeply contemplative. A prolific writer, she contributes to several poetry sites and anthologies, both nationally and internationally.