She Never Wore Green

Mary Aldrige was an original
one of a kind person
grew up in Arkansas
eight of ten children

Her parents were “black Irish”
part of the legendary lost tribe
of the Cherokee Nation

although she was proud
to be part-Irish
she disliked St Patrick’s Day
as her folks were Southern Baptists

As were many of her clan
neither trully Scotish, or Irish
or Cherokee

a tribe forgotten
by history

she refused to wear green
thought that St Patrick’s Day
was a fake holiday

also thought Mother’s Day
and Father’s Day
Were Corporate BS
fake holidays

we were forbidden
to celebrate either day

My father was of Scandinavian
and German American background

between the two of them
18 nationalities swirled
in my tangled bloodlines

so on St Patrick’s Day
I remember my Mother
a real original
daughter of Irish descent.

She Never Wore Green"

Please choose "Holiday" as one of your genres.

This is based on my mother's story. She was part of the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation but referred to themselves as "Black Irish" and were mixed race part white. Black and Native Americans. They had run away into the hills to avoid the trail of tears in the 1830s. There are about 25,000 people in the so-called lost tribe which has been fighting for state and federal recognition for many years. My DNA tests show trace native and African ancestry, but mostly Northern European, and Celtic background, and some Spanish, Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, Mongolian. and Basque ancestry. I just discovered a list of my mother's family members. Fascinating stuff.