(In honor of Sr. Eva
Regina Martin, SSF, 1939-2014)
I.
No
They told the first one
and then
year after year another no
until
the house was built the clothes were
stitched the
old castaways and the invisible
babies were fed and soothed
and then
there were enough faces to
form
a choir of hope healing their own hearts they
twisted scorn into praise
and then
dispossessed into the wilderness
they planted harvested
and shared among
the restless wandering spirits
a little light a little music and
little by little
the world found
them
and then they all said
yes
II.
it was how
she walked up the path
mother prayers
grandmother secrets the dreams
of babies had been rolled up
carefully
in remnants from the quilts packed
into the satchel
she dragged
along
III.
Teaching
touching holding
more
tightly the very ones most afraid
the world
became a festival of heroes where not
even dreams could root
But when the lightning flashed that
summer morning
And the corrupted sermon that had
long silenced
The mother-wisdom and ways of her
house
came hurtling back the air
she screamed
her loss
another old woman
(placed there
I know by the one who refused English to ever
touch her teeth)
said, “But you
learned it all
any way you could"
IV.
The satchel
once again
went away
and
came back
overflowing for our feast
Was she conjure woman?
Yes.
No one
knew how deep her eyes
could see
the
yes that was merely static
in the streets
spoke loudly in
iron
stone remnants beads and feathers
and whispers never failed to satisfy
and now it is our no
that we know
fallen to the floor
we demanded
the miracle
that exhausted her
at the
last
And
no was prayed and sung and
caressed
in the vigil of those weeping before
the tomb
was readied
Until
the first one
flung the light
and dissolved the shadowed room
reaching
her hand she said
now
and the gentle sister of us all
said
yes
yes
9 April 2014
Sr. Mary Eva Regina Martin, SSF.Born in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, in
1939. Entered the Congregation of the
Sisters of the Holy Family on September 8, 1959, professed First Vows on August
15, 1962, and Perpetual Vows August 15, 1967. Masters in Black Theology from Xavier
University. Doctorate in African American Studies from Temple University
(1994). Educator and Administrator of
Catholic schools in Louisiana and Texas. Curator, Archivist, Consultant. Sr. Eva Regina was elected to leadership in
her Community and served as a General Councilor, Vicar General, and succumbed
to death, April 7, 2014, while presiding in office as Congregational Leader.
Fr. Joseph this is a beautiful and fitting A fitting tribute to Sr. Eva Regina Martin,SSF as she joins her ancestor in eternal life. - Sr. Jamie
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