This poem is explores lineage and inheritances through the practices of making tea by gathering scraps from one’s environment.
by Antonia Randolph | illustration by Georgia Tardy
Antonia Randolph is a scholar and author who lives in Durham. She has published poetry in the anthology Voices Rising: Celebrating 20 Years of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Writing (Redbone Press, 2007) and has published essays and criticism in Scalawag and The Feminist Wire. “This poem is about lineage and inheritances. My mom, who is from Costa Rica, by way of Jamaica, told me that bush tea was made of scraps of plants that were around them. People are made in the same way.”
Georgia Tardy is a fine artist, art educator and entrepreneur. She graduated from Kendall College
of Art and Design of Ferris State University with a bachelor’s degree in visual communications. A Michigan native now based in Raleigh, her journey as an artist is defined by a dedication to fostering meaningful connections through creativity. “I was honored to illustrate Antonia’s poem because the narrative of my work is about how we constantly evolve throughout our stages in life. I’m in a place in life where authenticity, not external expectations, drives the work I create.”
This article originally appeared in the February 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.