By Nicole Garner
I wrote this for my mother,
for her mother,
for my grandmother’s mother,
and for her mother before her.
Their bellies slick with sweat as they
peeled their skirts off like the rinds of clementines
after feeding my family from magnolias as big as dinner plates.
In a town where the oak trees hold hands to cross the streets
and pray for a storm or a tall glass of sweet tea.
The Importance of Arts, Culture & The Creative Process
I feel that the arts and humanities are important because they connect and keep us grounded to our bodies and to our emotional lives. It’s a type of medicine, you know, expressing yourself or experiencing yourself through someone else’s words, images, or sound.
What was the inspiration for your creative work? (optional)
This piece was inspired by the incredible women in my family. My direct maternal lineage is Cajun-Creole French from Southern Louisiana. My Great-Grandmother and Grandmother were born and raised in New Orleans.
