Plum wine and soda

Plum wine and soda
on a hot Melbourne night
caresses my stomach
with freshness and relief
Its sweetness is a treat
from the dry, stagnant heat
of the outdoors.
The long, ribbony bed of seaweed
topped with tender pink salmon
melts on your tongue
along with wasabi and soy
The gossamer fungi
white, translucent and springy
like peaches and cream
on the square clay plate.
The hot tingle from the horseradish
in my nostrils
reminds me that this restaurant
is a haven from the heat outside
As I dread to step out into it again