Recess

By Roi Guanapo Ankhkara Kwabena

Ten fifteen, blazing sun
morning recess, we rush
Ali's aloo pies, seasoned
stuffed with curry channa an' mango.
Tastes peppery...burning nice
watering eyes...runnin' nose.
Sweaty palms clutching the brown paper
seething with tambrind sauce.
Nothing could touch a race to
Miss Carmen's tambrind balls.
Smiley an' Mohan
shoving for her paw-paw balls
big sweet green flesh
over glazed with sugar.
Her toothless grin cautioning
about peppery red mango
too much pushing...one at a time
too much dinner mints
one more cent for rainbow plum.
A tanka-bean or two
escapes the worn but sturdy wooden tray.
Cut-up green pomesette' captive
in a recycled small mouth big bottle
with salty peppered water,
where thin slices of cucumber
jostle with edges of congo pepper

ten twenty
nuff time
before bell
to play rescue

© Copyright 2005 – Roi Kwabena
Reprinted with kind permission of the author.

Source: As long as /by Roi Kwabena, 2005.
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