Woven

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Patrickia Duncan

 

I am from textured hair.

Some days my parts aren’t straight

and “extra-strong” bands snap in surrender.

Other days my 3B hair feels like heaven.

 

I am from kinky, coily curls,

a maze of hair that glows honey-brown in the sun.

To you, it looks like a good hair day—

to me, it’s a story.

 

I am from Mummy’s kitchen

where Blue Mountain coffee dances around my nose on Sunday mornings

Aaaaaahh yes—

the spice and warmth are refreshing.

 

I am from the Hub City that never sleeps.

Dembow and banda shakes the block

the second I decide to tuck myself in.

 

I am from “inna di morrows,”

From “dawg nyam yuh suppa,”

from the cookie tin that never has cookies—

only thread, needles, and memory.

 

I am from a praying Jamaican woman

who wears strength like armor,

and a Jamaican man

who carries mountains with his eyes.

I am, quite frankly, from everything.

 

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Patrickia Duncan is a journalism major with a creative writing minor. She is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and will graduate with the class of 2026. She writes, “I am a transfer student from Middlesex College, where I served as a managing editor, copy editor, and writer for the student newspaper, Quo Vadis. I also participated in panel discussions and conferences focused on arts, community engagement, and storytelling. These experiences helped shape my understanding of how people share their narratives and how community engagement influences their voices and experiences.”