My Spanish is rusty, the verb tenses stuck like old bolts and screws. I've been giving away my Spanish books, passing on the mystery of Borges. I kept the Mexican cookbook in Spanish; the verbs tell me what to do, simple commands. One day, if I have to, I'll be able to chop and stir my way through Oaxaca. The other day, I pulled a Hindi grammar book off the shelf and distracted myself with nuances, repeating "bananas are yellow" and "this banana is red" and "that (type of) banana is red" until I started craving banana fritters and wondering where I put my Goan cookbooks.

fallen leaves
the pile of books
I'm not sure I've read