the dance of herbs

KAT via Pinterest

basil is a pungent lawyer
who settles the deeds of your cold
with its oval shaped arguments

cinnamon is a woody dweller
who slaps your senses with warm sweetness
stopping short of taking your blood pressure
to rock bottom

cardamom is a delicious trickster
who somersaults on your tongue
with its peppery, lemony, minty wiles

garlic and ginger are twins for Indian tastebuds
who seduce you to go for second helpings
of chicken and curries

but who can forget the hermetic thyme?
a shy bunch of grey green violet
once thought to ward off Black Death
now lying beside me in this surreal wilderness.

©2023 Kaustabh Kashyap