Poem: George Anderson: Ode to a Twistie (2004)

Recently came across this old poem- about 15 years old- a satire on an iconic Aussie snack- the humble twisty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisties

The poem was first published in the Oz magazine The Mozzie in April 2005 edited by the late great Gloria B. Yates- (1933-2008); thankfully without my accompanying image.

I was writing mostly for a children's audience at the time. The poem was prompted by the unusually phallic shape of a twisty I found in my son's packet one day. Fortunately, I was sensible enough not to be sidetracked & created a poem which fleeted with innuendo, but was more focussed on bagging the scientific enhancements of the junk food:

Ode to a Twistie

 

Your golden nuggets come

     in a jumble of sizes 

& shapes

          into my open cupped

               hand. I pluck

           you from the 

packet &

         hold you high 

in the sparkling light of 

                                                                           noon.

 

When I place you in my mouth       

a sick, sweet burst of salts (329, 331)

     & flavour enhancers (621) 

              & colours (160a & e) 

      & food acids (270) 

are released- pulsing from the mash of

your hydrolysed vegetable

                                  matter.

 

Afterwards, I swallow you,

                        feeling cheap

& used-

                 like the   empty

shinny packet   I have                             

                                         left 

behind.