Ode to my Headband (Original)

To start my day, my headband,

I reach for you: white with repeating black tribal print—

I apologize.

How rude to ignore the cultural ties to your origin,

Which I do not know,

or unravel the stories whispered in your entwined strands of fabric

after three long years.

Would you prefer Ikat, African, or Ganado prints?

You must be Ganado, given the black geometric bands

forming hands reaching for each other

against the silk white backdrop.

Pulled at both ends like Laffy Taffy

You smoothly slip over my head and briefly blind my eyes,

And for a moment, I look like Lady Justice—

But even Her eyes do not stay blinded.

Raised above my brows, you are a wall

keeping the oily, black, coal-colored curls in their jungled land.

Your presence calms the somber curls

And people wonder less about their coarse and wayward nature.

The hair is no longer in control; you have given me control:

To speak freely without patting strands of hair that have gone astray,

To appreciate, rather than covet, a sea of well-defined brunette waves, bouncy blond bobs, vibrant and tousled red locks or sleek slicked backed ponytails.

Because of you, I embrace the oily jet-black hair:

with upright strands, split ends, limp curls, and buried tangles

on my head.

To end my day, my headband,

I tuck you away until the next morning

When we will brave the stares and the glares and

the leers and cheers,

together.

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Black Bonnet Girls is a reflective storytelling space rooted in softness, truth, and becoming. These pieces hold the quiet reckonings, cultural memory, and everyday moments that shape us as Black women—often in ways we don’t name until later. This space is for the overthinkers and the feel-it-all women, the ones still learning how to take up room without hardening. If these stories resonate, join me on YouTube for more BBG reflections, readings, and visual storytelling—where the words continue to breathe beyond the page.