Finding Thelma's Garden.

Manigault-Bryant, James

On discovering Lucille Clifton's poem "Spring Thought for Thelma," the author remembered the story his mother had told him of his grandmother's sudden passing in the garden of her Rubonia, Florida, home. While the initial lines of "Spring Thought" closely resembled his mother's recounting of his grandmother's final moments, the last sentence of the poem led the author to consider Rubonia's changing demographic makeup and the neglectful decisions of local government bodies that undermine the community's environmental conditions. Reading Clifton's poem allowed the author to reflect on how the garden, the community, and stories of his grandmother created his sense of home.

SPRING; MOTHERS; GRANDMOTHERS; DEMOGRAPHIC change; LOCAL government

Southern Cultures, 2024, Vol 30, Issue 3, p10

1068-8218

Academic Journal

10.1353/scu.2024.a945278