I found myself in a sea of similar sized individuals, in my assigned seat with my assigned school supplies. One fat #2 pencil. Dark blue, not yellow. One black and white patterned composition book. One large pink eraser that didn’t really deserve its name- it constantly called attention to my mistakes by carving blisters in […]
Sankofa: Go Back and Fetch It
Not too many years ago, when I was teaching Adinkra symbolism to children in the Arkansas Delta, there was a symbol that caught my attention with its graceful design, and caught my heart with its meaning. The symbol was “Sankofa”, a stylized heart with a curvy inside and base. It became my mantra and my […]
I Spent Many Happy Hours in the Cemetery, Fantasizing about Death
Throughout my childhood, I was crazy obsessed with Death. The nuns spoke fondly of Death as such a lovely place… joining the saints and our Father in heaven… It’s no wonder that I prayed every day that I would die and go there… where everything was perfect and I would be able to lie in […]
In the Shadows
In my travels over the hundred acres of the farm and its outbuildings, I spent a lot of time observing my surroundings. Much of the time, I was alone and so unspoken communications with wildlife encouraged me to wonder about our capacity to understand each other. “Often I remained a few minutes in the shadows, […]
Maya Angelou, on growing up.
Maya Angelou said, “I’m convinced that most people do not grow up… our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy as magnolias.” I certainly identify with her statement, and was very surprised to see that one with such a bigger than life persona- Maya Angelou- felt that way. But I do feel […]