Plate of noodles, white. Sauce of tomato, red. Sauce of pesto, green. Fork, silver, slides on in. Round and round and round, swirling ropes of colour, slick with sauce. Bolus now, lifted up and held on high.

Mouth open, anticipating sweet and savoury mixed together. Bite down hard and chew.

Oh! Heaven! Glands explode in salivary glee. Tongue cries out for more. Swallow hard, then again.

Plate empties, bit by bite, leaving behind only oily smears. Sit back, satisfied, clutching belly full and warm.

Oh, so tempting, another plate. But trouser buttons disagree. Stomach screams with acid voice: "Basta! Basta!"