Woven
I am from textured hair.
Some days my parts aren’t straight
and “extra-strong” bands snap in surrender.
Other days my 3B hair feels like heaven.
I am from kinky, coily curls.
a maze of hair that glows honey-brown in the sun.
To you, it looks like a good hair day—
to me, it’s a story.
I am from Mummy’s kitchen.
where Blue Mountain coffee dances around my nose on Sunday mornings
Aaaaaahh yes—
the spice and warmth are refreshing.
I am from the Hub City that never sleeps.
dembow and banda shakes the block
the second I decide to tuck myself in.
I am from “inna di morrows”.
from “dawg nyam yuh suppa,”
from the cookie tin that never has cookies—
only thread, needles, and memory.
I am from a praying Jamaican woman.
who wears strength like armor,
and a Jamaican man
who carries mountains with his eyes.
I am, quite frankly, from everything.
Patrickia Duncan is a senior at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, pursuing a degree in journalism with a minor in creative writing. As a first-time published writer, she hopes to share her roots and personal experiences through her work. While her focus is in journalism, she has a passion for creativity beyond traditional boundaries, allowing her storytelling to be more free and expressive.
