Tall and commanding
But never demanding
We are thankful such women
Who are earnest and driven
Have devoted their lives
So that traditions survive
Edna Lewis, caretaker
And a legacy-maker
Of the rich, soulful table
Whenever was able
Shared food and the flavours
So that all came to savour
Folkways of the South
That awakened the mouth
And tingled the senses
While breaking down fences
From enslaved to elite
Oh the people she’d meet!
And the food they would eat
Made her life so complete!
With beauty and grace
Took her merited place
As a black woman proud
Ambitious, not bowed
Generations inspired
From the dishes she fired
A taste of the country
Made her destined to be
To her fans, the devout
The grand Queen of the South!