Sunday Dinner

Aunties are alternating Chef Shifts

grandmothers are setting grandkids’ portions

The is house drowning in the amazing smells and tastes of

High Blood pressure, diabetes

Greens, black eyed peas, jiffy-mix-mixed cornbread

And corned beef
 

Thundering of cousins running back inside the house with heavy feet

from the park, lifting up rocks to see what was underneath

playing chalk-drawn four squares, tripping during double dutch

and racing down the sidewalk

To test the fastest of all of us

The old house shining with youth
 

The elders are blocking the entrance to the kitchen

Until we’ve washed our hands

While we ate, we played

Uno, Pictionary, Scrabble and Scattergories

scattered on the floor for hours on end

Everything always lasting one more round

There's the unmistakeable sounds of
pure laughter

popping of grease

plastic forks scraping plasticware

thte Slicing of store bought pastries

the murmurs of aunty's banana pudding and uncle's handmade pound cake

pleas for another scoop, another slice, the making of a side plate
 

There’s only a couple deviled eggs left hiding in the fridge

Some long distance relative randomly appears

Oh man how long has it been
 

Everyone smiling

Dishes piling

Awaiting their the end of the night wash

The Elders dozing off into light sleep

The kids clean off the tables

As it’s nearing time to leave

All I need is one last soul food sunday dinner

Where happiness is actually a thing

And everyone is in attendance, and there are no empty seats

Everyone is late and in their designated place

And the youngest gets to say grace and everything she's greatful for