Kalalou
A Tropical Easter
Ugh… that murderous grit, fine but rough, slipping in my underwear—itching!
I focus on the rolling murmur of the waves, the laughter of kids nearby—relax.
Mama is heating up the kalalou; so says the balanced aroma of spices, land crab and salt meat—patience.
Meanwhile, eyes closed, I sip on coconut water: the slight bitterness teases my taste buds, followed by the inevitable sweetness—soon.
When I open my eyes, Mama’s standing before me, hat on, red and yellow beach dress, handing me a plate: deep green from the stewed leaves, orange from the crab—finally!
* * * * *
In Guadeloupe, we have a tradition on Easter Sunday. People prepare this dish of stewed greens with okra, smoked meat and crabs that we catch or purchase at least one week before we cook them so they can be cleansed and fed the good stuff (to make them tasty). Lots of families (including mine) make it a picnic at the beach.
About the Creator
Lily Séjor
Lily is really not the best at describing herself, so she'll put this down for now and circle back when (if) she's inspired. For now, she wants you to know that she's your verbose friend who rarely knows what to say.
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Standing While Falling
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH6 days ago in Critique
Comments (17)
My very West Indian mother would be so happy to read this!
https://shopping-feedback.today/education/god-of-numbers%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
It sound delicious and I felt like I was on the beach with you. Good job!
Very sensory read indeed.
Such a gorgeous and outstanding tribute! I loved reading this!
Very cool! I love learning new things about other cultures. ⚡♥️⚡
Wonderful tribute to such a splendid ritual and tradition. Congratulations, too, on the Top Story!
Thank you for sharing this! 😊 And well done on your top story 😁
This is fascinating. Congrats on the TS.
wow amazing
Very interesting. Congratulations!
Also I forgot to say, congratulations on making Top Story 🎉🎊🎊🥳
Ooo I can feel the island vibe in this one. I like that spicy surprise in the first line. Thank you for sharing with us a bit of the Guadeloupe culture. I love that you personified the spices, it brought great depth and rung your unique voice through.
Beautiful and vivid.
Well...this is outstanding. I loved learning about he food and the preparation and was absolutely transported with your wonderful words. That first line made me laugh a little, because sand gets everywhere. You have a new subscriber. Congrats on an outstanding Top Story!
This is superb! Loved the beautiful story of family and tradition that you wove with such beautiful and joyous sensory details! Really well done, Lily!
This is a unique cultural tradition to set as a poem and I feel humbled by your sharing of it. Such long-lasting potent memories. Aaahhhhh!