Cajun Gumbo Poem

 

Po Boy Views

By

Phil LaMancusa

Cajun Gumbo

Chere, time I learn you sumpthin’ an um tellin’ you like a mutha,

You gotta learn to cook good gumbo if you’re gonna catch a luvah;

Your Auntie Zoe Odette, she always been just sittin’ on the shelf,

While Cousine Marie Ser’phine, I gar-on-tee, ain’t nevva by huhself.

The secret’s in the ‘tennsion you pay, and how you do sashay

And dance round the stove yer cookin’, and the fire that you lay.

 

The aprons we gone be wearin’ is hung by the kitchen door,

The weather’s nice the sun is out we couldn’t ask for more;

Now come a little closer while I ‘splain my secret theory,

I dun be tellin’ jes anyone, but you always bin my Deary.

Y’see this wonder that we’re gonna make, it needs the ‘Danse Gumbo’,

Not any dance you learn in school, more a Cajun two-step mambo.

 

G’wan run me down a chicken fine and burn off all dem feddeh

Cotch me now, that ole hen, Chere, that meat, I b’leeve tastes beddah;

Grab me down my gumbo pot that big black iron ting, I swear

Gumbo cookin’ in any udda, make me mean as a creek wet bear.

Slap more wood on the fire and grab me the grease I keep

In the ole coffee can, backa the stove; while we let them men folks sleep.

 

Kick them shoes off, take off dem socks lemme see them sweet petite toes;

Get us some music on the box like them rockin’ Los Po-Boy-Citos.

We got to move our bodies with the vittles, I swear I tells you true,

The secret ingredient’s that our gumbo’s has… is a Latin boogaloo.

Bring me out gumbo crabs and swimps that Cousine Edgar caught,

Evreetings goin’ in that pot jus’ like your Marraine Essy taught.  

 

 

Y’all don’t come out her off’t enuf so I gotta do this to learn ya

To make that roux real careful like, so’s it doesn’t up’n burn ya;

While I’m fryin’ up that hen get me the gizzards out the freezer

That I’s been savin’ for this here gumbo that’s gonna be a pleaser.

Mince them onions fine, celery too and bell peppers, uh, but

Don’t mix ‘em, they be separate add, here let me see you cut.

 

Take the chicken out the pan and add the flour slow’n steady

To that grease and get the roux a goin’ and stir until it’s ready.

Put that cornbread in the oven fire and make damn sure it’s hot;

Get ‘tater salad out the fridge, needs more hot sauce like as not.

Now show me that roux hand, stir big circles, very slow and steady;

dun let that roux go slashing you, tho I gots the aloe ready.

 

I went over down by Thibodeaux to get some that good boudin,

An while waiting for andouille too, I invited your cousine Anne;

She up and married Alphonse the fire-man, they be happy, yeah;

Got twins, a house and a fishin’ camp and they all be comin’, Chere.

I tole her of your college life and how much you done learn;

That roux is turnin’ tan to brown, now don’t you let it burn.

 

And now the roux is dark as night, so throw your onions ‘pon it,

To stop that roux right in its tracks you gotta stir like good goldarnit.

Now the celery and bell peppers, and it aint trinity without the pope,

‘cause if you forget the garlik, it be like dish washin’ without the soap.

We gun let this gumbo sit at least a day, so that all the flavors mate,

When company gets a bite of it… they’ll claim that even heaven can wait.

 

Now, the trinity has dun its work, seafood, sausage’n chicken’s in;

No tomatoes, okree or Creole stuff, I swear child where you been?

Talka ‘bout things can goes in, ersters, squirl; n’possum, if’n you jig one;

Parrain Leon bringin’ his fiddle too, makin’ our fais dodo ta be big fun.

That sweet well water’s what does the trick, Chere, add it up to here;

Now we sit, let that cauldron do its work; go’ne fetch us ‘nutha beer.