Cooking Okro Soup
Your mouth curves with the silliest most delicious smile
Like a witch about to brew a potent elixir of life
You season the meat and okporoko and smoked fish
With salt, pepper, onions and stock cubes
You cook ‘til they’re soft, add more water
You spew splashes of palm oil into the pot
Making gorgeous streams of red on the surface
You let it all boil, then add crayfish and more pepper and salt
You taste the boiling broth and hmmm, finger-licking good!
You dice the okro and you dice the ugu and you dice the onions
You chop chop chop, slicing each into lovely little pieces
So you have green and deep green and pinkish purple
Fresh parts of plants bustling with life and nutrition
It’s as if you’re making love with elements of nature
You sprinkle the okro over the pot
The ugu and onions follow a little bit later
You lower the heat and set down the pot
Your house is filled with the most wonderful bountiful aromas
About the Poet
Chii Ọganihu is a Nigerian poet and writer. She writes across genres of poetry and prose. She is on Twitter @ChiiOganihu