By: Susmita Bhat

The chili pickle
sitting on the shelf
was as red as fire

Its sharp smell
and fiery taste
seemed to have grown
after sitting untouched
for several months

As I closed the refrigerator door
the shelf fell
crushing the jar
and releasing the smoky smell
of roasted chilies

I am sorry, as it was my mistake
nevertheless, the pickle
which burned my tongue
and hurt my stomach
was finally thrown away

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Susmita Bhat spends her weekends raking horse manure. To clarify, she enjoys working with patients and horses at an equine-assisted therapy center. While she isn’t cleaning up horse stables, she often can be found reading mystery novels, bullet journaling, and biking.