Missing Maya

The world has lost a jewel in the death of Dr. Maya Angelou. She was an activist, a poet, an intellectual, an inspiration, a mother, sister, friend, and

daughter. She epitomized the quintessential artist; a beautiful, intelligent, black woman—someone I personally idolized for her abilities. The first time I read the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I was a young girl who loved to read, as Maya had often said she did. My very soul was stirred by her sharing in her life and as a consequence of my reading that book, I continued to seek out her work. Her poems were sometimes sweet as honey, as raw and gritty as a city street, or as lighted-hearted as children at play. Reading her works inspired me to continue to work at my craft and give me hope that maybe one day something that I have written or said will change a life as she had changed mine so many years before. Maya Angelou was one of the voices of a generation that has gone on to glory and though we sorrow in her passing we rejoice in her living. Her words breathe life into dead situations and provide a voice to the forgotten. I love her and all she has given to the world. I am so glad and blessed that she found her voice and made the decision to share her voice with the rest of us.

 Rest in Peace Maya Angelou! You truly will be missed and surely never forgotten!