Ma’ Dear

This is the woman that brought me Earthside; the womb from which I came. She carries the blood of Tyson’s and Browns, by the way of Americus / Albany Georgia and Tampa Florida. She is the great great granddaughter of a slave owner and an enslaved woman. A descendant of agricultural alchemists, builders, weavers, kitchen conjurers, midwives, seers, homemakers, and recipe keepers. Her mother was a Sagittarius woman who made her transition fall of 1977 when the veil was thin. She calls on her Spirit often. Shes a Taurus Sun, Taurus Moon, & Taurus Rising who loves all things dainty and pretty. She has dreams often, and most of them come to pass. She makes the best pecan pie, enjoys lifetime movies, and sitting on her porch, tending to her birds. She is a keeper of heirlooms and a photo-album archivist that enjoys doing things the old fashioned way. 

We’ve laughed, cried, held grudges, knucked & bucked, and loved dearly. She can be stubborn at times — a past life reading revealed that she was my daughter in another lifetime. Earlier this year she was diagnosed with cancer, but despite it, she has continued to enjoy life, creating her own diagnosis of joy. Through it all, she has held space, with care, tenderness, and love. This is my momma yall, Denise.

For my 33rd summer, we hopped in the car and traveled across some Louisiana roads. This is her, preparing for a day out in New Orleans, fixin to take the rollers out of hair. “Boy, you couldn’t wait til’ I had my hair all done up before you took my picture !?”