Indian Winter
Why does Mama wear
Indira’s red and green earrings?
A jinx is the inverse
of Jewish artichoke;
kinship is the transverse
of no opinion coke.
Flambé is the reverse
of Papa’s poker chips;
touché to the universe
of acquiescent lips.
For the same reason she wears
silent Nehru jacket, holy Nehru jacket.
Source: Poetry (December 2011)