Jude Roy

MAMA'S GUMBO

Mais cher, first you make the roux.
Scorch the flour and oil,
until it is the color of bayou water
or Papa's sun-weathered face,
or darker, like Monsieur Pete's,
the farmhand down the road.
Boil water.
Add chicken, andouille, okra and roux.
Make your gumbo spicy--
greasy--
Make it thin, or thick--
Cook it fast or slow--
Let it take on the character of the maker
before you eat it.

Copyright 2000, Jude Roy

Jude Roy's poetry has appeared in such journals as Zuzu's Petals Quarterly, Prism International, Niederngasse and others. Jude teaches writing and literature at Madisonville Community College in Madisonville, KY.

Switched-on Gutenberg/Vol. 4, No. 2