Not apples, not salty, not good

By Kaushal

Not apples, not salty, not good
like a crowded toilet in a mall
like a weird type of expired medicine
like your mouth is going to break
like begging the taste to leave your mouth
like your teeth turning into rough stone ran over by 100 Hyundai Santa Fes
You made a mistake coming here

This poem was written by one of our 2025 Year of Poetry students, as part of our special “Poetry Pairings” stall at the University of Sydney Community Festival on November 8. Visitors to the stall tasted non-alcoholic drinks of various descriptions, and paired them with excerpts from these delicious poems!