Food For The Soul
Flavor, cookery, and presentation are the vehicles of culture, identity, and creativity. I’m extremely blessed to be loved with enough provision to experience finger-lickin’ meals.
On the grill coal chars BBQ, sweet corn, and steak - sizzling over a flame brighter than the sun roasting our skin. An ice-cold drink soothes my insides like bass and drums heal the soul. In the kitchen gandules dance con sofito y adobo en arroz to chisme from long distance phone calls. Mis tías y tíos weave between languages como agua en el río. Licking my fingers: a gesture of savor Jiggle in my step: a rumble of power Stretchmarks on my thighs: a blessing of abundance Loosening my waistband: a sign of provision
Process
This poem was inspired by the community practices that happen around food and its impact on me. I grew up listening to my mother speak English and Spanish on the phone while she cooked. The abmbiance played a role in how I precieve connection surrounding
Kayah Hodge
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Kayah Hodge
A native Brooklynite, Kayah Hodge is a Digital Creator at Macmillan Publishers and member of the Girls Write Now Anthology Committee. The recent alumna of Hamilton College specialized in Creative Writing, honed her voice as a lover of literature, and was recently featured in Carnegie Hall's Afrofuturism display. Outside of writing mixed genre material, Kayah enjoys spending time learning new recipes and cooking with love. Her favorite authors include Jacqueline Woodson, James Baldwin, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She particularly appreciates work that sheds light on immigrant experiences and the vastness of underrepresented cultures.
