but not quite – the ladles are
being extracted and the
crockery collected; the last
of the plate-swabbing
draws to a close
our hands are shaped into
accidental, unnamed mudras
suspended in the conducting
of conversation,
poised just so
by crusty stiffness
(borne of a meal relished and
the most delicate of inertia)
– graceful still, if not supple
yet we do not rise,
preferring to marinate
just a little longer
Anushka Baruah is a lawyer, erstwhile literature student, and dumpling enthusiast. She lives in Delhi.