Mother goes on an exploration
of our backyard garden
under the perennial sun
to seek the most tender
5 spheres of cherry tomatoes
arrows of green peppers
tear drops of garlic cloves
and umbrella of cilantro
She tends the soil
10 and brushes her fingers through the earth
her bamboo basket gathers
her love and labor
She sings an old ghazal1
that once was my lullaby
15 as her pickings go to sleep
She washes them
under the rain of the sink
before the heat of the frying pan
softens their flesh
20 She sings and sings to drown
the drone of the blender
red speckled with green
In her Texas kitchen
Mother pours tamatar2 chutney
25 from India
Based on the last stanza, the reader can conclude that the chutney
Responses
A is not the same as it would be in Indiais not the same as it would be in India
B is the most important reminder of Indiais the most important reminder of India
C is the only Indian recipe the speaker knows is the only Indian recipe the speaker knows
D helps Mother feel more at home
1 answer
Based on the last stanza, the most appropriate conclusion is:
D helps Mother feel more at home.
This is because the act of making tamatar chutney from India in her Texas kitchen suggests that it is a way for Mother to connect with her heritage and create a sense of comfort and familiarity in a different setting.
