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East India Grill Villanelle

Across the table, Bridget sneaks a smile; she’s caught me staring past her at the man who brings us curried dishes, hot and mild.

His eyes are blue, intensely blue, hot sky; his hair, dark gold; his skin like cinnamon. He speaks in quick-soft accents; Bridget smiles.

We’ve come here in our summer skirts, heels high, to feast on fish and spices, garlic naan, bare-legged in the night air, hot and mild.

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And then to linger late by candlelight in plain view of the waiter where he stands and watches from the doorway, sneaks a smile.

I’d dress in cool silks if I were his wife. We try to glimpse his hands — no wedding band? The weather in his eyes is hot and mild. He sends a dish of mango-flavored ice with two spoons, which is sweet; I throw a glance across the shady patio and smile.

But this can’t go on forever, or all night — or could it? Some eternal restaurant of longing, not quite sated, hot and mild.

And longing is delicious, Bridget sighs; the waiter bows; I offer him my hand. His eyes are Hindu blue and when he smiles I taste the way he’d kiss me, hot and mild.


Cecilia Woloch is a member of the Creative Writing faculty at the University of Southern California. She conducts an annual poetry workshop in Paris and for many years directed Summer Poetry in Idyllwild. She will be conducting a workshop for Writer’s Ink in San Diego on September 25. “East India Grill Villanelle” is from her collection
Late, published by BOA editions in 2003. It is reprinted by permission.

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Across the table, Bridget sneaks a smile; she’s caught me staring past her at the man who brings us curried dishes, hot and mild.

His eyes are blue, intensely blue, hot sky; his hair, dark gold; his skin like cinnamon. He speaks in quick-soft accents; Bridget smiles.

We’ve come here in our summer skirts, heels high, to feast on fish and spices, garlic naan, bare-legged in the night air, hot and mild.

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And then to linger late by candlelight in plain view of the waiter where he stands and watches from the doorway, sneaks a smile.

I’d dress in cool silks if I were his wife. We try to glimpse his hands — no wedding band? The weather in his eyes is hot and mild. He sends a dish of mango-flavored ice with two spoons, which is sweet; I throw a glance across the shady patio and smile.

But this can’t go on forever, or all night — or could it? Some eternal restaurant of longing, not quite sated, hot and mild.

And longing is delicious, Bridget sighs; the waiter bows; I offer him my hand. His eyes are Hindu blue and when he smiles I taste the way he’d kiss me, hot and mild.


Cecilia Woloch is a member of the Creative Writing faculty at the University of Southern California. She conducts an annual poetry workshop in Paris and for many years directed Summer Poetry in Idyllwild. She will be conducting a workshop for Writer’s Ink in San Diego on September 25. “East India Grill Villanelle” is from her collection
Late, published by BOA editions in 2003. It is reprinted by permission.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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