The Korner ka Kulchchewala

The Korner ka Kulchchcewala wondered how tomatoes would be liked,
should he chop them or dice them
or mince or grind or vandyke?

Tomatoes and carrots and asparagus
(onions are such a bore)
should go fancy with sesame pineapple dressing.
And myrrh, chive, coriander and mint
(with tamarind of course),
could make for a typical seasoning.

Herbs, he had just read,
‘stimulate the trigeminal nerve.’
And dressing is important;
eyes, don't they eat first?

But only so much, right now, for flavor
and sight!
There was a lot to figure out by
tonight-
the correct blend for maida,
the effects of unsaturated oils,
the sprouting time of various cholas
and utensils- phew! they are of hundred kinds.

there was arrangement of stools then
and colors for his stall,
suitable email IDs
(for party orders),
oh! and shouldn't he serve hot water bowls?

Overwhelmed with questions and
with possibilities the future seemed full of,
he mulled over a little
and quietly dozed off.
He's been oversleeping since he last went to work.
He's been oversleeping for a while now.


Will the Korner ka Kulchchewala,
now with some erudition and an awareness of his method,
ever be able to cook again
for his mind appears ever-jumbled with permutations and plays?

Will he regain his culinary proficiency:
the effortless, characteristic ways?
Or will indulgence in contemplation and imagination
mark his fall from grace?


Will he even get out of bed?