by Suzanne Hermanoczki

1. Watermelon
She cuts the sei gua or watermelon into cubes and blends them into liquid
then drinks it down in one big glass gulp.

2. Turtle Jelly
They say, turtle jelly's good for your skin makes you younger, until
you're a baby, practically a foetus with a thick hard shell.

3. Chocolate
Square, slab-shaped, rectangular - angular. A heart, in a box tied with a ribbon.
Melting in your mouth, your hand. Too bitter too sweet.

4. Chicken
'Chicken legs!'
You shout at her purple skinny legs with knock-knees.
'Chicken skin!'
You say about her blue lips and pimples running down both arms 'n legs.
'Chicken!'
You shout,
'Go cross the road or somethin'!'

5. Sashimi
Fish sliced, cut raw.
Orange. White. Pink rimmed.
Lying next to Deep red
on a bed of cut flesh.

6. Duck
Duck!
Ouch! Why'd you do that for?
What for?
Hit me.
I didn't mean to.
But, you did.
I didn't mean it.
But you hit me -
Sorry.
In the face. I think you broke my nose!
Let me see. It's not broken. You liar!
Lun yeung!
What? I said duck!

7. Herbal Tea
She filled the empty pot with boiling hot water and watched the little
flowers float to the top.

8. Prawns
He went off, like a bucket of prawns in the sun.

9. Crabs
Try to catch them, but they run away sideways, always sideways except the
soldiers – who run straight at you, clipping their claws.

10. Wine
She smiled, with red stained teeth and wine stained breath.

He had to turn away.