Our online shop will be closed 22 July - 21 August while I focus on reading our May submissions and have a break! Thank you for your understanding. All postal orders placed after 5pm on 21 July will still go through - I'll just post them out after 21 August. You can still shop via buff.ly/Y2MhXru
![Ode to Kaya
Egg jam first on my young tongue: palm sugar sweet, coconut milk rich. Thick layers on charred
toast, salted butter cubes between, melting in Penang
sweat. My Goh Ee Poh stood for hours stirring you
in that double-boiled heat. Exports to be swaddled,
twisted into pink and green plastic bags, nestled
amongst swimming costumes and sundresses − rituals
to ward off mid-air leaks in the 14 hours from one home
to the other. Back in England your layers thinned,
our knives more sparing after each spread.
After Goh Ee Poh grew too frail, aunties and uncles
gifted us store-bought surrogates. You were labelled Kaya.
Our cupboards filled with your empties, aides-mémoire
of indulgence repurposed to house fragrant rice, Chinese
mushrooms, our longing for Nyonya flavours.
[Word count limit for sample poem]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2gha2zgtnpaylyob46fbwgzo/bafkreiccqsxhx6mxalwrydodyfuuwhm6zwjlstrvlxkdjyc76pw6i6toz4)
