Kevin Young
May 2003

Gumbo


How the stomach, starved,
spits out food—

ballooned—is how
I love you. Too

much. And all
over Africa the locusts

move in, un-
invited, and eat

up everythang.
Dear, I needs

a benefit
concert! Some star

stud affair. Send
food soon—

this regime
must end. Child,

I have left only
skin—an old

unstirred soup’s—

from Jelly Roll: A Blues, Knopf, 2003.