The Peale's Storyteller-in-Residence, Mama Linda Goss, shares stories, poetry, songs, and insights about everything from Earth Day to the untimely death of George Floyd to talking to youth about race and racism.
Mama Linda Goss is the Peale's storyteller-in-residence, as well as a performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions. Every month, she shares a poem with the Peale, as part of her collection of stories, "Mama Linda's Chapbook."
Mama Linda Goss (00:00): Well, well, well, well, well, well, well. My bells are ringing, my soul is singing. I'm the praise singer, I'm a bell-ringer. The truth [inaudible 00:00:28], that storyteller. Baskets are handwoven, many things we use are handwoven. We as a people, we as a group of sisters, or a group of brothers, we're all handwoven. Hand in hand, we help one another. Handwoven, handwoven, in praise of sisterhood. Handwoven, handwoven in praise of sisterhood. You know, my fingers ache, my shoulders feel as though they're about to break. But the sisters, you sisters, your handwoven words give us strength. Sometimes the sun burns my arms, sometimes my hands won't stay warm, but sisters, sisters of the word, your threads of wisdom gives us guidance.
Mama Linda Goss (01:57): And when we go through things, we have to say, hold onto me, sweet child. Hold onto me, dear mama. Hold on to me, blessed nana. Hold on to me, my precious sister. I'm talking about four generations, the sister, the child, the mama, and the grandmama, holding on, holding on, doing a [inaudible 00:02:35], holding on doing a peach march, together we were handwoven, together we were handwoven, Asante Sana, Asante Sana. I say thank you to Phillis Wheatley. I say thank you to Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. I say thank you to Zora Neale Hurston. I say thank you, Asante Sana to Gwendolyn Brooks. Sisters, sisterhood. Sisters of the written word, sisters of the oral word. Your prose of empowerment gives us courage. Your verses of inspiration gives us hope. Asante Sana, Asante Sana to Maya Angelou, Asante Sana, Asante Sana to Alice Walker, Asante Sana, Asante Sana to Sonia Sanchez Asante Sana to Toni, Toni Morrison. To Toni, Toni Morrison.
Mama Linda Goss (04:03): Together we were handwoven. Together we were handwoven. And woven together, we walk in prayer and woven together, we walk in the light. And woven together, we walk in prayer. And woven together, we walk day and night. We were handwoven in love and truth. We were handwoven in peace and justice. Together, we were handwoven. Together we were handwoven. In the sisterhood, those who will come after the ancestors, those who will come after the elders, you will be handwoven and woven in praise of our sisters, in praise of the sisters, in praise of sisterhood.
Asset ID: 2021.02.08.a
Poem Copyright © 2021 by Linda Goss
Find a complete transcript on the Peale's website.
