Incense – a poem by Vernon Mukumbi

Incense

The spoon I'd dumped
in the bowl of murky water
slips into my mind—
cold and forgotten.

Having scooped my cravings,
it remains unwashed.
I think of all the unclean things
I've kept stashed away in the cupboard.

In the kitchen,
the black kettle stands simmering,
exuding a faint metallic scent.

Incense spills through the room.
I think of the tabernacle—
my bottled prayers.

The steam rolls and billows.

Vernon Mukumbi is a Medical Doctor based in Zambia, Africa. His poetry has previously appeared in the Apple Valley Review.