Yellow in Four Quarters

Amaltas
Petals of the sun, finespun, clustered,
cascade down avenues. Golden Laburnum
chandeliers shower singed, stinging
streets with wisps of breezy blessings.

Mango
A heady scent at first. Then, fleshy
pulp, mischievously exploding off skin,
landing on skin, sticky, irrepressible.
Summer’s cossetted, indocile, luscious child.

Turmeric
A pinch that packs a punch and stains fingers
before turning lentil soups into amber rivers,
coating potato matchsticks with sunshine.
A pinch to make milk and weddings golden.

Mustard
A zing so pungent, it turns heads into fields blazing
with golden stalks and dunks fish steaks into
a dreamy curry that sends one on a high. Seeds
of sharpness dissolving into summer’s esurient mouth.