Did you say ‘bitter’?
Why, yes!
That’s what I am
Bitter Go(ur)d.
I can’t run away.
So thank you,
I now wear your
labels
with panache.
How long can I
sulk for being judged?
by your taste buds,
your obsessions with
tomatoey skins
weighing the tremors on
my flaky body
against ivory milks.
Isn’t is always about colour?
Robbing me of my
identity.
You love dates with wheedlers, don’t you?
Their honeyed words
dripping over cold
p(a)lat(t)es
while I languish, half-eaten
on dinner tables.
The loss, I tell you,
is yours to bear.
For the bitter makes better
and Go(ur)d is Grace
There’s more to a veggie
than plain, simple taste!
This poem is in response to the NaPoWriMo prompt for Day 20 which asked us to write a poem that anthropomorphizes a kind of food. It could be a favorite food, or maybe one we feel conflicted about.
The bitter gourd is one of my favourite dishes but every time I see scrunched up noses on the mere mention of it, my heart breaks.
This post is part of BlogchatterA2Z
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A Hundred Quills 
Really enjoyed the wordplay, Sonia!
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Thank you Sunra. Your poetry inspired me all of April.
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Oh thank you, Sonia! That’s so kind of you to say ❤ Yours is inspiring too, you weave words wonderfully!
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Amazing! I do think that bitter gourds are gross, but I never thought how a bitter gourd might feel about that!!
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Glad you enjoyed this Asmi. Thank you.
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Loved it absolutely! For bitter or Worse!
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Glad. Thank you💐
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I absolutely love bitter gourd, hated it as a kid though. Now when I see my kids give a similar reaction I know it takes time to fall in love with it!! Great piece of poetry on it 🙂
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more to a veggie than a plain simple taste.. so true! I love most green and leafy vegetables and I totally understand your feelings..
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“How long can I sulk for being judged…”
This line stole my heart. If bitter gourd could speak it sure would say this.
I love bittergourd too, in any form… pickled, fried, as a subjzi dry or with gravy!
And I think, thanks to veggie juice fads, bitter gourd shot to fame too! This form I definitely wouldn’t like to add to my list of likes though 🙃
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Now that I have written this, I see so many lovers of bitter gourd. I’m sure will make it happy
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We love bitter gourd. And did you know it’s good for combatting the heat of summer? It’s known for that here in Japan.
And did you know that the overripe ones have jellied seeds that you can eat raw. AND sweet. The same fruit. Bitter and then sweet jelly. Love it more.
Loved the poem. Serve me bitter gourd any day. xoxo.
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Wow Selma. You gave me some more reasons to love this veggie. In India we believe it cleans the blood and is very good for diabetics.
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Haha! Karelas are a family favourite and I can understand the bitter gourd’s bitter tirade. Fantastic take, Sonia.
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Thank you Punam💐
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Oh what a playful ode to the humble karela! P.S. It is my favourite too!
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Thank you! Join the club. It’s a huge one😀😀
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So many good things in this poem! I almost wrote about bitter gourd and its crocodilely skin. I love bitter gourd. I also love Brinjal. Most people don’t like to eat them. Varad even makes this yummy delicacy with stuffed bitter gourd!
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Crocodilely skin! I’d love to use that.
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Please do!
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A bitter gourd even if bitter with that spice added up the coconut grated in it is my favourite tooo…
Dropping by from a to z “The Pensive”
Your lines r quite fun 🙂
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I specially like u calling it the better god 🙂 good day
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Thank you
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What a playful poem about a vegetable I LOVE.
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Yay! I’m so glad to have company.
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My sentiments are well echoed here..Such marvelous play of words, Sonia!
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Thank you💐
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My first encounter with bitter gourd was an unpleasant one—my son and I bought and cooked it thinking it was something else. But I’ve had it at a friend’s home in India and it was amazing. I guess you need to know how to treat it!
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Yes. In India we love to add spices and give it a tangy twist.
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I love bitter gourd too.
Your play on words is quite girlishly naughty.
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Haha. Now I know a few who love it too.
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Lovely! Poor Bitter gourd, now I feel sorry for it. From now on, everytime while making and eating bitter gourd, I will remember these lines and respect the vegetable more. 🙂
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Haha. That’s sweet. Bitter gourd won’t be bitter then.
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