Children of the Mountain Woman

Abstract

I come from a place
nestled between the rocks
of the Dolphin Head Mountains
my great-great grandmother
daughter of unknown maroons
rode down from the mountains
on a stray mule
surveyed the vastness
of hunter, lemon and avocado grass
decided she had found her own place
returned to the rocks
strapped her five starving children
to the razor-sharp back of the mule
rode back down to the plains
her new-found place.

She hid her children
deep in a misty cave
fed them on almonds
and the honeycomb of wild bees.
On a sultry October afternoon
she traversed
vast hunter, lemon and avocado green plains
discovered a village of men the height of palms
with peanut-sized testicles
asleep on banana leaf beds,
she bared her mountainous breasts
frightened them away
and claimed their place
as her own.

For each child
she built a house of logwood sticks
and palm leaves
blessed them in the name
of Ogún, Yemaya and Anancy
and returned to her palenque
black backra woman
alive in our memories
today we say
we are children
of the mountain woman
children of Nanny kin
children of the claimer place.