I, My Grandmother
More Stories Nadine Tomlinson More Stories Nadine Tomlinson

I, My Grandmother

My grandmother seasoned Saturday soups with songs,

but never the ones from the land she left behind.

She anointed my scalp with oil,

plaited my hair with prayers,

spooned love with the chocho into my mouth.

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NESTED
More Stories Javanna Cumberbatch More Stories Javanna Cumberbatch

NESTED

My gratitude for your kindness was never expressed

For I was too young to be grateful

Too young to care, understand, or appreciate

You blessed three little girls of color

And valued their mother, a loyal worker for years

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Freedom
More Stories Claudette Thompson More Stories Claudette Thompson

Freedom

Basic freedom was denied

And daily I cried.

Labeled as the “weaker sex”

Taunted mercilessly. My soul grew vex.

Wretched. Worthless

An imbecile. Senseless.

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these burdens that I carry
More Stories J’Anna-Mare Lue (劉 家明) More Stories J’Anna-Mare Lue (劉 家明)

these burdens that I carry

everything destroyed in reverence of a new god, an unfamiliar god, they called him money. this god had power unlike any my people knew before, and to how my grandfather told it - it demanded servitude, offerings, and sacrifice like no other. It was an angry god.

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Learning and Loving Pink
More Stories Autumn Odlum More Stories Autumn Odlum

Learning and Loving Pink

I can see how stubborn a six-year-old I must have been to proudly proclaim that I would never own anything pink and to loudly declare ,to anyone who would listen, that my favourite colour was actually blue (in truth, I never liked blue that much) .

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