Distributed for Tupelo Press
Miracle Fruit
Poetry. As three worlds collide, a mother’s Philippines, a father’s India and the poet’s contemporary America, the resulting impressions are chronicled in this collection of incisive and penetrating verse. The writer weaves her words carefully into a wise and affecting embroidery that celebrates the senses while remaining down-to-earth and genuine. "We see that everything is in fact miracle fruit, including this book itself"-Andrew Hudgins.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
One Bite
I Slice
Fishbone 1
Stealing Song 4
Ooty Lake 5
Wrap 6
Table Manners 7
Peacocks 8
Aanabhrandhanmar Means ’Mad About Elephants* 9
Gulabjamoon Jar 10
The Rolling Saint 11
Swear Words 12
Hell Pig 13
The Purchase 14
Telling the Bees 15
Falling Thirds 17
II Juice
Suddenly as Anything 21
In Praise of Colophons 22
Winter Games 23
The Woman Who Turned Down a Date with a Cherry Farmer 24
Fruit Cocktail Tree 25
In the Potatoes 26
Contusions 27
Lewis and Clark Disagree 28
Cheese Curds, the First Time Why I Am Not Afraid of King Cobras 30
1 Come Back to Green 31
The Alligator 32
Crow Joy 33
The Woman Who Hates Frogs 34
Nest Shirt 35
213.466,917-1 36
Canticle with Sea Worm 37
Meditation on Flannel 38
Making Gyotaku 39
The Bonsai Master’s Daughter Breaks Her Silence 40
Arachne 41
Little Houses 42
Ill Flesh
Speak 47
Cocoa Beach, Off-Season 48
Lagoon 49
Coco Cay 51
Joseph Sees Me Painting My Thumbs Blue 52
Good Blood 53
The Original William 54
Mr. Mustard’s Dance Club: Ladies’ Night 55
Blue Topaz 56
Small Murders 57
Betelgeuse 58
Eating Dust 59
Mouth Stories 60
Motorcycle 62
Late 63
What I Learned from The Incredible Hulk 64
Red Ghazal 65
Origin of the Milky Way 66
Fabric 67
Spices 68
Are You Making Dumb Cake? 70
Under Water, Behind Glass 71
My Name 73
Acknowledgments 74
One Bite
I Slice
Fishbone 1
Stealing Song 4
Ooty Lake 5
Wrap 6
Table Manners 7
Peacocks 8
Aanabhrandhanmar Means ’Mad About Elephants* 9
Gulabjamoon Jar 10
The Rolling Saint 11
Swear Words 12
Hell Pig 13
The Purchase 14
Telling the Bees 15
Falling Thirds 17
II Juice
Suddenly as Anything 21
In Praise of Colophons 22
Winter Games 23
The Woman Who Turned Down a Date with a Cherry Farmer 24
Fruit Cocktail Tree 25
In the Potatoes 26
Contusions 27
Lewis and Clark Disagree 28
Cheese Curds, the First Time Why I Am Not Afraid of King Cobras 30
1 Come Back to Green 31
The Alligator 32
Crow Joy 33
The Woman Who Hates Frogs 34
Nest Shirt 35
213.466,917-1 36
Canticle with Sea Worm 37
Meditation on Flannel 38
Making Gyotaku 39
The Bonsai Master’s Daughter Breaks Her Silence 40
Arachne 41
Little Houses 42
Ill Flesh
Speak 47
Cocoa Beach, Off-Season 48
Lagoon 49
Coco Cay 51
Joseph Sees Me Painting My Thumbs Blue 52
Good Blood 53
The Original William 54
Mr. Mustard’s Dance Club: Ladies’ Night 55
Blue Topaz 56
Small Murders 57
Betelgeuse 58
Eating Dust 59
Mouth Stories 60
Motorcycle 62
Late 63
What I Learned from The Incredible Hulk 64
Red Ghazal 65
Origin of the Milky Way 66
Fabric 67
Spices 68
Are You Making Dumb Cake? 70
Under Water, Behind Glass 71
My Name 73
Acknowledgments 74