The Golden Gate
by Vikram Seth
"The salt's mixed as the water's heated.
An egg's released upon the brine.
It floats! The first stage is completed.
Phase two: In stratified design,
Bands of plump olives and thick slices
Of lemon, dusted well with spices,
Are laid inside each pickling jar.
Now into each packed reservoir
A sluicing of cooling brine is pouring.
A seal of olive oil to spare
The olives from the ambient air--
And the jar's set aside for storing.
The lid's screwed tightly; signs are heaved;
The label's stuck: the task's achieved!"
pg. 121, 5.43
"John looks about him with enjoyment.
What a man needs, he thinks, is health;
Well-paid, congenial employment;
A house; a modicum of wealth;
Some sunlight; coffee and the papers;
Artichoke hearts adorned with capers;
A Burberry trench coat; a Peugeot;
And the evening, some Rameau
Or Couperin; a home-cooked dinner;
A Stilton, and a little port;
And so to a duvet. In short,
In life's brief game to be a winner
A man must have...oh yes, above
All else, of course, someone to love."
pg. 129, 6.13
“That Saturday the coaxing weather
Confetties the blue bay with sails.
John hires a small boat; together
They guide it out to watch the whales
For the last time this year, migrating
Northward again, and aggregating
In pods and pairs, but far from shore
Though grocery shopping is a bore,
Tonight it almost seems a pleasure:
With friendly passions they discuss
The rival tastes of octopus
And squid, and how one outght to measure
The additives in bread and meat;
Then go to Jan's to cook and eat."
pg. 268
pictured below: Octopus and bone marrow pasta
"Ed's quiet for a while. Phil's quiet.
Paul's off at Lamonts' today.
The fridge hums happy with its diet
Of ice cubes. Clocks click time away,
Contented with its circularity.
Phil yawns. The crackling fissiparity
Of popcorn on the stove returns
Him to the present--and he burns
His thumb endeavoring to extract it.
"You OK? Let me help!" Ed gets
Butter and garlic salt; and sets
Some napkins out. Now they've attacked it
With starved abandon. "Whoa! It's hot
--You're right--but really hits the spot!..."
Pg. 178, 8.11
"By nootime, sugar-crazed and restive,
Her will deserts her. She would give
Up Charlemagne for one digestive,
No, half a gingersnap. Why live
If life is pain and deprivation?
Untimely ripped of sweet sensation
Her taste buds salivate in vain.
And now the aura of migraine
Lays seige around her field of vision.
Darkness descends upon her eyes.
With ice bags round her head she lies--
Imagining (with shock precision)
Her body suddenly immense
With carbohydrate corpulence."
pg. 125, 6.5
"Now Paul yawns as he nibbles candy,
And the pie's vanished, bite by bite,
And Ms. Craven's drunk her brandy,
And the time's come to say good night."
pg. 65, 3.24
