Quirky Raw Appeal
Shail Raghuvanshi
The sun is at its zenith, shining
till it burns, my little home settling
into its comfort zone, people
busy with chores and, I feel
that aching desire once again
to pick up a few grains of raw rice, toss them
carelessly into my mouth, munching bleakness
of cereal as it swirls inside, wrapping itself
with slushy saliva and offbeat toothy music
churning bran discreetly like a spy with a silencer.
It‘s a quirky craving that goes not well
with my human physique, used as it is
to eating more of cooked rather than raw,
this grain not a succulent dish, not dish at all
yet, appears inviting like the forbidden apple.
A compulsion I comply with religiously
until my teeth punishingly chatter,
my palate goes for a toss
claiming yet another victim that refuses
to realize the repercussions of raw appeal!
Shail Raghuvanshi is a freelance journalist, editor, poet, blogger and artist. She has around 30 years of writing experience for various mediums such as newspaper, magazine, radio, television and the internet. Her poems, short stories and articles have been published over the years in leading magazines, journals and e-books. She has been associated with various publications and E-zines and is known for having co-authored anthologies. She believes hypocrisy to be the greatest enemy of mankind and untethered creativity to be the finest friend of the human race.