A Ceremonial Apron Made by My Great-Grandmother Flora Decuir Vallet for a Cousin's Graduation in New Roads, Louisiana, 1958, by Jeffery U. Darensbourg

Ceremonial Apron, by Flora Decuir Vallet (USA) 1958

A Ceremonial Apron Made by My Great-Grandmother Flora Decuir Vallet for a Cousin's Graduation in New Roads, Louisiana, 1958

Now done with the schooling of this town, unto
other roads carry this. Its holes will not protect
from steam or stain, nor its ties fasten steadily.
It serves its purpose without clenching a waist.

Remember those wizened women behind you:
adorned with aprons through domesticity, both
tenderly betrothed and to this ox bow enchained,
as you quit this caustic warren of stifled plans.
​
Its colors bright, clearly stated, neither calico nor
plaid, will call to mind your boldest fervid dreaming.
Out East you won’t hang your auntie’s’ castiron
in the hearth. Let this remind you, on your shelf.

Jeffery U. Darensbourg

Jeffery U. Darensbourg grew up in Itta Homma (of which “Baton Rouge” is a translation) and currently resides in Bulbancha, what others call “New Orleans.” He works with words, crafting essays, poetry, academic articles, and public talks intertwining traditional academic research with autoethnography and memoir. He is a Louisiana Creole and member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation. Louisiana’s deep histories of ethnic mixing between European, African, and Indigenous Peoples are reflected in his ancestry and work. He was a 2024 United States Artists Fellow, He holds a Ph.D. in cognitive science, something reflected in the strong linguistic focus of his work.