Sarath Reddy
Axis of the Slow Spin
Mother is stirring soup in one direction
under the spell of a shepherd moon.
In her four-armed shadow an array of vials-
coriander, saffron, mustard seed,
grandmother’s ashes tossed in pinches, dashes
into the orbiting elixir. Boiling over
the dining table, three generations of family
drama plays out in nervous chatter,
knives against porcelain, meat separated
from bone, tongues stained turmeric
as recipes and gossip morph, mutate,
take on a life of their own.
Hovering in the ether of spice the nebulae
of our ancestors smolder, flicker as we peer
into the cast-iron mouth of Krishna, glimpse
the gyrations of creation and its aftermath.
Sarath Reddy reads “Axis of the Slow Spin”
Sarath Reddy’s poetry has been inspired by his experiences as an Indian-American, as a physician, and as a father. Sarath’s poetry has been published in JAMA, Off the Coast, Another Chicago Magazine, Poetry East, Hunger Mountain, and Cold Mountain Review. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with his wife and three children.