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)