From Whispers to Wisdom

Cold weather sads take over my head and make it so hard to get out of bed.  Too tired to stand and make all my meals, and Uber eats rarely has deals.  Inside my chest there are tiny sobs that no one but me can feel.  I can’t tell if the sadness is a metaphorical joke or if my depression is real.  Who do I call who I won’t bring down with this negative space I take up?  No desire to get dressed or go out or even put on a little makeup.  I don’t know what I need, and it makes my head feel crazier than makes any sense.  Should I cry into my pillow or distract with TV - I’m genuinely on the fence.  I daydream about getting on a train and just going to God knows where.  But then I remember how much it would take  just to get from my bed to my chair. I think of Khalid, cold and alone, sleeping inside of his car.  The sibling who grew up in the next room but emotionally lived very far. I cannot get him out of my mind, and there’s nothing I...

Me and cornrows go back a long time. Longer than any other style. When you first get a fresh set of cornrows, first and foremost, they are TIGHT AF. The patterns are neat and in sync, so you just take an aspirin and go on feeling yourself. The braids shine from the Jam and that Pink spray, and people usually compliment you and admire them. It is important to note, however, that cornrows can be an extremely high maintenance style - if you want them to last.  The Cornrow Commandments: You must wear a bonnet or sleep on a satin pillowcase every night.   Cleanse and Oil thy scalp regularly.  Hold fast to your edges - at all cost.  Moisturize your ends dutifully.  Don’t neglect the process. My friendship with her is like a head of cornrows.  Please know, that even if you wear the bonnet and worship your scalp with TLC, at some point, your parting spaces will fade. The frizz will slowly take hold of your head like a halo of static, and you will begin ...