a heavy chest is is not the answer
to fleeting memories, unlocked doors,
smell of sichuan peppercorn,
the broth reflects the faces,
glum, dry,
if love is the only answer,
then life is the only question.
a heavy chest, and stale breath is not the answer
garlic stuck between your incisors,
your hands sticky, your fingers mushy.
leave the tip at the door,
if death is the only question,
can memories on a splintered leaf
be the answer?