Recipe
Preheat a skillet of love
Evenly coat the bottom with
a few drops of sweetness
Chop the following ingredients finely:
One clove of bitter experiences
1 cup of painful regrets
2 sprigs of sad memories
Sauté slowly for what
seems like an eternity
Add ½ cup of grace
and forgiveness
2 cups of positive visions
Simmer until gentle
In a separate pan
Place strips
of African stories to tell
and spicy poetry
Pour in generous portions
of family life, graduate school,
and trips to Senegal
Add finely chopped ingredients
for personality
Stir ingredients until they
blend into community
Place in the oven of life and
bake on a high flame of surrender
Remove from heat and let
Ingredients settle into character
Place on a plate and
Garnish with thinly sliced
integrity and faith
Serve with a glass of joy,
praise and devotion
—Dr. Patricia Williams Diaw
Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Patricia Williams Diaw. Reprinted from the book: Recipe: Thirty-Two Poems about Life
Dr. Patricia Williams Diaw is an educator and author of poetry and prose. She was a contributing author of Black Panther: Paradigm Shift or Not? published by Third World Press. Dr. Williams Diaw’s poetry has also been featured in 50BOLD.com, African Voices, and Essence Magazine. Recipe: Thirty-Two Poems about Life can be purchased on Lulu.com.
