Today’s prompt was to write a poem in which the subject of the poem has an unusual reaction to their job, inspired by Treasure Hunt by Prabodh Parikh.

The heat of the kitchen is enough

to put some off; those that remain are

tossed straight into the maelstrom.

This job is not for the faint of heart.

Today’s menu is a typical mix of

piquant nouns and zesty verbs in

surprising combinations. 

Check out our starter of the day

– a delicious little tanka filled with

the creamy song of a nesting thrush.

Or try our conceptual soup: a unique

blend of ideas and spices, designed

for the discerning poetic palette.

Come here.  This will be your station.

You’ll finely chop dreams and mix

them with a sense of longing, before

steeping them in the strongest

poetic juice locally available.  A tiny

pinch of self doubt. Season generously.

Today’s main course is, of course,

our show-stopping sestina – 39 lines

of pure lyrical elegance with our

own lemony twist.  People come

from all over the world for its

unexpected word combinations.

It isn’t an easy job, working in our

poetry kitchen – but it’s one that will

reward you with a life of flavour.