I recall lying upon my mother's chest and absorbed the honey-soprano mezzo vibration of her voice moving upwards through her bosom. The cadence of her precise diction seemed to compliment the beat of her heart. Perhaps my mother realized the value of the gift she was

Although the pen is in my hand when I write my mind and spirit are fully engaged by the merit of my ancestral experience. I acknowledge that I am the sum total of the experience of my people. I pray I do not to let them down.

In all of my writing I am never hesitant to evoke the spirit of those great men and women upon whose shoulders I now stand. I accept and am honored by my purpose as a medium for the uplifting of my people. An acknowledged ancestral memory floods my thinking allowing me to progress towards the profundity in writing of those who have come before me. The paper-skinned image of my Grandmother Beard's face prompts me to her favorite jewel of guidance, "Be a task great or small, do it well or not at all." I smile as the essence of Zora Neale allows me to reflect upon the overwhelming beauty of "everyday Black folk." As I invite newer and more precise vocabulary into my writing I credit Brother Malcolm who showed me that the greatest way to command a language is to know it. By all of my ancestors I am reminded that no story is more worthy of being tol

Some common words found in the essay are:
Freshman Composition, Zora Neale, Jess Semple, Sonya Sanchez, Grandmother Beard's, ancestral memory, pen hand, pen hand write, speak write, hand write,
Approximate Word count = 725
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)