On holidays, I always end up in the kitchen.
Pick any holiday you like.
I do it now and I especially did it then.
Thanksgiving, Easter Sunday, or Christmas Eve night.
In there sits Grandma, aunts, cousins, and friends.
But I am usually the youngest one there.
It's better than being in the den,
With loud mouth uncles, whose heads are bare.
"Lord, this kitchen sho' smells good," remarks Aunt Kay.
Collard greens, candied yams, boiling chit'lings, and baking ham.
Escape, Opium, Red, and Old Aunt Mable's Ben Gay.
Peach cobbler, some pecan pie, and the pot of cooking strawberry jam.
There's food in the kitchen, on the shelves, and all over the place.
Fried chicken, rolls, and some spaghetti dish.
Green beans, macaroni and cheese, what I wouldn't give for a taste.
Oh, yea, let's not forget the skillet of frying fish.
But you don't go in the kitchen to taste the food.
You go for the gossip, advice, complaints, and fellowship.
In walks Cousin Buton, he says something rude.
Miss Mattie says something funny to him, that woman's a trip.
Grandma's discussing the state of the world.
Stacy chimes in, "Somebody needs to be beat!"
Aunt Frances shakes her head for the lost boys and girls.
As little Johnny B screams, "When do we eat?"
They show him out and change the theme.
Back to the "good old days," not now, no, Lord, please.
Someone remarks of Dr. King's dream,
And then they start to tease.
"These kids today don't know nutin' about a struggle or a fight!"
"Don't know nutin' about hunger, fear, or life."
"Just know how to cause trouble and watch TV late at night."
"Now come on Grandma, we don't cause that much strife!"
"Child, hush your mouth and sit on down."
Then they all start in on me.
Why must I always suffer because of a few clowns?
So I just sit down and take it, that's the best thing, you see.
The tirade is over and I'm free at last.
Oh, Lord there they go discussing, what else, men.
They remark of men present, men future, and men past.
They call them dogs, heroes, wimps, among other things.
But the mere mention of Rev. Abernathy, joy bring.
"Salt of the earth, pillar of the community."
"Oh how the man has a beautiful voice to sing."
"He ain't handsome, that man is pretty."
They go on and on and on...
They get on my nerves with that man.
Then Aunt Sharon asks me to sing a song.
"Baby, sang "Hold to God's Unchanging Hands.""
I don't want to sing and that's obvious,
So, Grandma breaks into the first verse.
We sing all four verses and the chorus.
Don't tell anybody, but Mrs. Kelly's singing is the worst.
We finish singing, then the sermon begins.
Aunt Sadie, the Missionary, has the remedy.
"Some of these children's souls we need to win!"
"Jesus is the answer, Jesus is the key!"
She goes on with us as her congregation.
"Amen, hallelujah, that's right, gone gurl!!"
We listen, we smile, as she gives her great oration.
"Jesus, the answer for the state of the world!"
In walks Bobby crying, cause he got hit in the eye.
Ms. Mattie wipes away the tear and gives him a kiss.
Grandma says, "Gone outside and don't you cry."
Then she yells something at Trish.
They all look at me,
"Don't you be in no rush to have no kids!"
"Gurl, let them bad tailed boys be."
"You can learn from the things we did."
"Keep your legs closed and your dress down!"
"If you act like a lady, you'll be treated as such."
"Don't get a reputation for running all over town."
"These kids are always in a rush."
"Don't play around with sex, it ain't for little kids."
"When you say no, make sure you mean no."
"Don't let him move into your house, move into his."
"That way if you need to leave, you can just go."
"Getting married entirely too young."
"You can get married when you can't do nothing else."
"Just wait awhile and the right guy will come."
"You don't need a man, you can fend for yourself."
"If he hits you, shoot him!"
Bertha has always got something strange to say.
Although, she should know after being married to Tim.
"Baby, there are other ways."
"She needs to get an education.
So she won't need a man."
That's the advice from Aunt Shun.
She's always willing to lend a helping hand.
"Chile, one big heart break is better than a bunch of little bitty ones."
"If you let a man break your heart once, he'll break it again and again."
"Forget about these tired people, when you need them they usually won't be around."
"If the truth be told, in life you will only have two or three true friends."
Grandma finally speaks up in my defense.
"Ya'll better leave my baby alone.
She ain't like the rest of ya'll, she has sense.
Somebody go tell Harry to get off my phone!"
We have finished talking and the food is all done.
They set the table and bring in the food.
Into the dining room, everyone runs.
Uncle Rev. Johnny Ray says grace and it's all good.
I want to stay and help clean up.
But Grandma tells me to go out and have a little fun.
I pick up my plate and my cup,
Place it in the kitchen and I'm gone.
I go out into the night and give thanks to Lord,
As Sheena and I take a short walk.
Through the window, we can see Uncle Jesse dealing the poker cards.
I must admit I really enjoy all the kitchen talk.
