A STRANGER ASKING
Walk along the Main Road,
The doubles vendors are crowded in
By eager feasters;
Some having breakfast,
Some having a bite after all night hangovers.
The seller umbrellas spread like roofs
Over cozy little huts,
Where there is family to be fed;
The measure of hot sauce to be added:
Slight pepper, or heavy.
Doubles vendors are male, female, or,
Whole families plying their fast tasty wares;
Some queues are long and winding,
Some, arcs upon arcs of circles,
Jostling for this street delight.
But what of the young man,
Carrying a backpack,
At ten in the morning, in the Season of Carnival,
Standing, right there in the Doubles vendor's spot;
Asking.
Where could he buy doubles;
Clearly, a stranger to the culture of buyers;
They come out early in the morning,
Buy, eat-up the doubles,
Then the vendors pack up, and leave for the day.
A STRANGER ASKING © gillena cox 2018
Eulogy for a stranger
Prompted by: Isadora Gruye
EnjoyThe Music
Revisit
February 1 2016
Hot sauce, red umbrellas, sun, not a bad place to rest one's hat
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation Margaret
Deletemuch love...
I like the creative story here, Gillena. Hot doubles indeed! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteHappy you dropped in to read mine Isadora
Deletemuch love...
Yes, you certainly have to know the ways of street marts and not expect them to be open normal shop hours. Every market place has its own uniqueness and is fun to discover.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your appreciation Robin
Deletemuch love...
Rise early while the market hums or you lose out. Love this walk through the market.
ReplyDeleteWhere could he buy doubles;
ReplyDeleteClearly, a stranger to the culture of buyers;
The late-comers got left by the wayside as others march on! That is how life is! Very true gillena!
Hank
Thank you for your appreciation Hank
Deletemuch love...
Seems we've visited a lot of your markets, in different lands. You write of yours sooo well, Gillena. I've heard of the islands' hot, hot sauce. We were given a bottle of GREEN sauce but customs took it away. Here, Saturday mornings along the road to Fulshear the farmers and venders come. Once a month one comes with artichoke blossoms. Our daughter deep fries the ones she buys.
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Sounds nice Jim. I often wonder thought what happens to all those thing Customs take away from people
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by
Much love...
I was standing in line, observing the young man with back pack. Nice!
ReplyDeleteHappy you dropped by Toni
DeleteMuch💟love
I can just imagine missing out on the delicacies... raise early or go hungry.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, thanks for dropping by Bjorn
Deletemuch love...
Pray tell, what is exactly is a hot double?
ReplyDeleteI recall with vivid brightness, on my one and only trip to the Caribbean (when I was sixteen my parents brought me to Barbados) the boldness of the sun, the colours so wide even a rainbow was dull in comparison, and the energy of street markets. It was delicious and such an embrace. I felt like an owl - swivel head of energy to see, stop, look, touch and taste. Incredible.
And in your way, you've brought me back to the moment - different time and place, but still, I can feel the heat and warmth - which is a gift on a very extreme cold Arctic blasting wind chills cold winter's day.
Lovely write Gillena :)
Simply put a spicy Channa [also called gabanzo beans also called chickpeas] sandwiched between two small very soft fried flat bread.
ReplyDeleteDoubles Recipe
Glad i sparked your interest Wildchild
much love...
thanks so much for the link and information - I'm already salivating - yum!
Deletehope you have an amazing weekend Gillena :)
A sunny poem that bounces all as I read and walk with you, Gillena. I'd never heard of doubles but you painted a colourful picture of the vendors and their 'umbrellas spread like roofs / Over cozy little huts'.
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