The bacon sizzles in a silver pot on a spiral top that burns
To a tangerine orange beneath sweet cabbage.
Turn that stove down low, boy!
Collared greens unfurl to the size of elephant ears.
Let the water run rinsing them clean.
Hand me the knife from the drawer.
Get the strainer ready for rice.
Here are the scissors to cut the chittlins’.
They don’t smell as bad over rice,
Doused with hot sauce.
Seasoning salt is drizzled over
Honey- sweet ham.
It’s 6p.m. Time to make the cornbread.
Mama makes the wild berry kool-aid syrupy sweet.
Slices of Aunt Earline’s jelly cake
Lie like dominoes on a plate painted with porcelain roses.
Pork chops in a ceramic bowl
Sit sullenly next to store bought
Sweet potato pies.
I’m in my room writing poetry,
Waiting to sink teeth into chicken breast
While the Superfriends are on mute.
Yall can come on eat now!
Fifteen years old was when Shane Allison wrote his first poem. Since then his poems have appeared in countless kick ass literary journals such as Chiron Review, West Wind Review, The Brooklyn Rail, and others. He is the author of four collections of poetry. His new collection Sweet Sweat is out from Hysterical Books. He is also the author of two novels. Harm Done and You’re the One That I Want.
South Broadway Ghost Society 