Curry Powder, and: Terrorism in Manhattan

Abstract

Curry Powder, and: Terrorism in Manhattan Rajiv Mohabir (bio) Curry Powder curry powder se banaye tarkariyamasala pise na jane, masala pise na jane* Nani's mother forgot her first Madrasi name;adopted by Christians off the indenture ship called jahaaj. Nani ground garam masala withbitter bitter tears so Ma buys Lala's from the West Indies Mart and parrots, Achcha hai? to her elders.My sister pops a jar of Patak's premade lentils and shakes each grain into Nana's karahi.Both fried from daal, my brother can't distinguish between barah and phulowri, eats all twowet with plenty plenty pepper sauce, come morning his rass go burn. I make rice in a steamer that plugsinto the wall, its final ding calls us all to feast. *They make tarkari with curry powder and do not know how to grind masala, from the song by Mangroo Badal [End Page 30] Terrorism in Manhattan pani mein chini mil jai asaani asaanijaisan masalawa mein mirchiya kali kali* The white officers question the hijabiwoman with a bag of basmati in burlap, "What's in the bag?" They understand the word basmati—Alhamdulillah—the world is palm sized. They rub her with strips of paper to see ifthe brown grains she cradles as a son will shoot into green stalks or bombs. Her cousin disappeared severalyears ago; no one remembers the lilt of his du'a. She wonders where the line is to ask her own fire-questions. Who did they wipe when racists razed her mosque? Or, Where the hell do they holdher cousin? One grain of rice in the paddy field. *In water sugar mixes easily, like black pepper in garam masala. [End Page 31] Rajiv Mohabir Rajiv Mohabir is the author of The Taxidermist's Cut (2016), winner of the Intro Prize in Poetry from Four Way Books, and The Cowherd's Son (Tupelo 2017), winner of the 2015 Kundiman Prize. He currently teaches poetry at the University of Hawai'i, where he is a PhD candidate. Copyright © 2016 University of Nebraska Press