WHEN A CHOPBAR BECAME A BATTLE FIELD OF LAUGHTER
jerry KWATCHEY@kwatcheyjerry128608
2 hours ago
#poetry
**WHEN A CHOP BAR BECAME A BATTLEFIELD OF LAUGHTER
— by SIMU**
It started with laughter —
small at first,
then wild enough to shake the wooden tables
and bend the rhythm of the room.
The chop bar, usually a kingdom of seriousness,
where hunger governs decisions
and silence accompanies every swallow,
suddenly became a stage.
A stubborn fly had played its part,
but your laughter…
your laughter was the true disruption.
The macho man pounding fufu like he was shaping the fate of nations
paused mid-strike,
muscles frozen,
eyes narrowing as if joy was a personal insult.
Even the pestle hung in the air,
confused by the interruption.
The big-nyashed chop-bar aunty —
the undisputed ruler of the realm,
her ladle a sceptre,
her stare a weapon forged from years of authority —
turned her gaze on you.
A gaze sharp enough to cut through steam,
sharp enough to silence even the bravest hungry man.
And yet…
in the middle of all that heat,
all that tension,
all that pepper-scented danger,
you were laughing.
Laughing like a man who refused
to let the world take itself too seriously.
For a moment,
time stopped.
Meals halted.
Minds paused.
Even the fly, proud architect of chaos,
rested quietly in the shadows
to watch history unfold.
Because sometimes,
joy is rebellious.
Sometimes, laughter is loud enough
to challenge a whole room.
And in that chop bar,
you became the spark —
the unexpected fire,
the comic disturbance,
the heartbeat of the moment.
A scene ridiculous,
dangerous,
beautiful,
and undeniably alive.
— A Reflection from the SIMU Collection.
