Where I’m From

Dorease

I am from Soul Train, from Sulfur 8 and Afro Sheen cosmetics

I am from bacon sizzling, hair straightening, gospel playing

I am from the Aloe Vera and the olive oil

I am from family walks after dinner and singing around the piano, from Jaqueline and Kenneth and The Walkers

I am from the West Indian culture, love & respect and love yourself first before demanding it from others

From “A hard head makes a soft behind,” and “Your eyes may shine, your teeth may grit, but none of this treat you gonna get”

I am from a Christian home

I am from Jamaica by way of New Jersey and plantains & curry goat

From my grandma Doris waking me up for Saturday chores, the smell of Pine Sol and Ajax Cleaner

I am from a line of strong Queens.

Dorease was an adult education student at Project Hope in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2011, her writing was published on https://nelrc.org/managingstress/poetry.html.

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