tastebud

1.

the tables are turned now. you stand on
ground (wet and slimy), where
rats scurry around- their
midnight scavenger hunts.

and when theybumpintoyou, they'd
flash you

their supercilious grin; white and toothy
like the toothpaste commerical. you'd
yelp

in that sudden
prospect of sharing food
with that mickey mouse.

(to think they'd just renovated the place.)

2.

it's not just vermin. who knows, what they'd
add to your wanton soup. lizard eggs
to pass off as ajinomoto;

to frighten
stressful long queues

into stressful long queues;

or cockroach feelers as
chives on your char kway teow

to poison the crowd into returning?

(are there chives on char kway keow?)

3.

of course,
what food heaven is complete

without the irritable uncle;

sweating and panting

like
a furious athelete,

shoving
bowls after bowls (of lard, lard, lard- echo!)
into

(and scalding)

our (delicate) hands.

4.

with the wonders of self-service,

will you still want to eat
at a hawker center?


cuRRent...jer  ¶ 12:35 pm