SAR'DINE' (A FISHY AFFAIR)

With vegetable prices touching the sky and state declaring the end of 47-day trawling ban and the local fishermen here in Vaduthala having a good catch...It is fish, fish and more of fish at home…Having been brought up in the north and north east, I am not a fish person per se like my parents but I am fond of sardines. So a few lines dedicated to sardines as I saw mother cooking it today…

 

SAR'DINE’ (A FISHY AFFAIR)

I see mumma,

Inside her wooden kitchen,

Cleaning fish,

Being born close,

To the seas and the sands,

I trust her hands,

She knows the knack of doing it,

And I sit next to her,

On the blue stool,

In the kitchen,

Admiring her skills

 

With a knife,

She deftly goes about removing,

The lateral fins, tails and gills

Taking out the intestine

And dirt from the stomach,

All the phytoplankton,

That the little fishy had gobbled up,

Throws it out neatly,

Thereafter descaling

With a swiftness

That I could admire

And aspire to inherit

One day, may be…

 

I see my fishy lie there bare,

My lovely sardine,

With her sad little round eyes,

Fresh from the sea,

Devoid of her silver sheen,

Washed and cleaned,

Under the running tap water

Waiting for her turn

Ready to be tossed in fire

May be in the pan,

May be in mumma’s mud urn…

 

Some say pearl spots are the best,

I feel they are ‘pricey’ and a ‘mess’,

Sardines top my list,

For, undoubtedly, you are the best,

Low-priced and rich in Omega-3 fatty acid

Nothing can beat you,

None can compete with you,

A plate of rice,

Would perfectly

 Compliment you

Some days

Mumma fries you,

With a pinch of salt, chili and turmeric,

While some days

She steams you

With chili and garlic

While some days

She adds tomatoes

While some days

She simmers you in coconut milk,

What amazes me,

Is the way you ooze out oil,

Anyways you are mine,

And always a delight

 

Easy-to-cook

Easy-to-munch

Don’t have to worry

About the bones,

As they are fine to eat,

You are definitely a treat,

Hard to resist and beat!