Indian Winter

                           Why does Mama wear

                  Indira’s red and green earrings?

                           A jinx is the inverse

                                of Jewish artichoke;

                           kinship is the transverse

                                of no opinion coke.

                           Flambé is the reverse

                                of Papa’s poker chips;

                           touché to the universe

                                of acquiescent lips.

                           For the same reason she wears

                  silent Nehru jacket, holy Nehru jacket.