The Story of My Birth – The Ballad of Mama Queen

Beginning a new career path as a school nurse at a small elementary school in the heart of the Hopi Nation causes me to reflect on this journey that has led me here. My childhood dreams have changed through time. I began reflecting on my life when I was in fourth grade with my first diary. Unfortunately, I lost my early diaries during my gypsy life in my twenties. However, I have written many stories and poems about this life and maintained journals intermittently. So, in order to understand how I have arrived at this point, I will reflect through my writings.

The story of my birth is the beginning. I wrote this poem when I was living in Evanston, Il, working as the secretary for the Linguistics Department at Northwestern University. One of the professors had written a dictionary of slang. I used it to find expressions for a child born out of wedlock and making love. Some of the phrases, as you will see, lent themselves easily to poetry.

The Ballad of Mama Queen and Her Darling Daughter

Mama Queen looked for action.                     
A handsome photographer
came to her satisfaction.
Children enjoying their sport,
ran a restaurant for support.
Separated, but married, Mama Queen
he could not court.

Oh, but they did Adam-and-Eve-it,
in that act of darkness, an accident.

Mama was bright, beautiful, young and free.
Daddy, a struggling, father of three.
His wife called, “Daddy, you I got to see.”
Yes, with his family he had to be.

Oh, Mama are you left alone?
you know Daddy’s gone home.
You did Adam-and-Eve-it,
in that act of darkness, an accident.
Oh, Mama love that man so
but he’s packed his bags, he had to go.                     

Mama got hulled between wind and water
floating with a darling daughter.

Born-out-of-wedlock girl
were you misbegotten
hasty pudding
come by chance
love-child?

Now, you’ve got a yard child.
She’s an off-girl
making music in a
mad-man’s world.

An accident
one incident
heaven sent
love’s fragrant.

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You can hear this poem and the song refrain by purchasing my CD at
http://storytellingtheater.com/storytellingtheater.com/SHOP_BOOKINGS.html