I was struggling over what to post today. I didn’t prepare my post ahead of time. I considered bailing out completely. But something was tugging at me.
That tug started with an email from poets.org that sent me into a rabbit hole of Black poets. Reading, clicking, texting, reading…
Then I was discussing my dilemma with my daughter, Katherine. She works for an ad agency in New Orleans. Her co-worker, Dante Nicholas, wrote an article on Later.com “How Brands Can Celebrate Juneteenth on Social Media.” In his article, Dante states “June 19, 1865 – Juneteenth – is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States….At its heart, Juneteenth is a day of celebration.”
I clicked further to find that Dante is also a fabulous photographer. I screen-shot this post from his Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/allthingsdante/
In my reading, I felt a kinship to Margaret Walker. Not only did she have my name, she also lived in my home town of Jackson, MS. for a time. I wish I could say I met her or saw her speak, but I didn’t. But her words spoke to me today. Dante’s image makes me think of poets like Margaret who said, “Let a new earth rise.”
Using words from Margaret Walker from For My People, I wrote a small found poem to celebrate the freedom of Juneteenth.
For playmates in the clay
singing dirges, ditties, blues,
Let a bloody peace be written.It’s time, friends, it’s time!
Margaret Simon, found poem from Margaret Walker’s For My People.
Reflections on the Teche 