Selection No. 3

Szechuan Garden
by Luli Arroyo


I do not prefer spicy food
but tonight we had a laureate
of spicy shrimp and spicy fish
and thin slices of spicy beef.

With each course I felt all
that my mouth felt.
from the middle of my upper lip,
the soft breeze crawled to the corners of my mouth,
then wound its way back to the middle of my lower lip.

My swollen mouth began to pout;
I did not know whether I needed
the soothing coolness of icewater
or burning lips
kissing mine.