Aubergine the internet tells me 
means ‘fruit of the eggplant’
from the French
from the Catalan alberginera
from the Arabic al-badinjan
from the Persian badin-gan
from the Sanskrit vatigagama.

I think of this while three aubergines 
cosy up to one another 
in the metal basket I’m carrying 
in a daze along the ‘World Foods’ aisle.

I think about this too while everyone 
in the shop carries on as though
attempted lynchings of asylum-seekers
up the road didn’t actually happen.