Conversations with the Motherland

"Poems rooted in soil, spirit, and song: a dialogue between the past, present, and possibility."

In Conversations with the Motherland, Shakeema Funchess invites readers into a world where language heals and heritage hums beneath the surface. Each poem is a return to self, tracing the lines of ancestry, womanhood, and resilience through deeply personal verse and universally resonant. From the rhythm of Brooklyn streets to the whispers of ancestral Africa, Funchess explores identity, loss, love, and liberation with grace and fire. Her voice carries the pulse of generations echoes of mothers who labored, daughters who rose, and lands that still remember. From soul food Sundays to ancestral echoes, this collection reclaims the stories, languages, and legacies that colonialism tried to silence. It reminds us that love is labor, freedom is a birthright, and joy is a form of resistance.

���� Inside youll find:

• Reflections on ancestry, grief, and rebirth
• Praise poems for the Black feminine divine
• Vivid scenes of everyday resistance and joy
• An unapologetic reclamation of voice, culture, and belonging

⭐ "Conversations with the Motherland is a love letter to resilience and a reminder that the Motherland still calls us home."