leaving home every morning at dawn 
passing traffic at Oyo Road junction 
greeting vendors balancing bread baskets on their heads 
as the stench of gasoline stains the Ibadan air

clutching thin white napkins, 
she stands in a hot kitchen 
frying plantains, cautious of spitting oil, 
her wrapper prints camouflage the grease

serving children in air-conditioned living rooms, 
she had rocked them to sleep 
when they were babies, 
she loved them like her own

Rina Malagayo Alluri is a Filipina-south Indian poet, peace and conflict studies scholar and yoga practitioner who grew up between Ibadan, Nigeria and Vancouver, BC Canada/Turtle Island.

Poetry submissions to thursdaypoems@gmail.com.