QUEEN'S RIGHT
In my twisted little world, I have come to understand that I am dealing with several
women that have "ascended" from Princesses to Queens by right of their station in the world of women and men. I love
to love princesses but I am totally enamored by my queens.
The Royal Blood
I was raised by a king and a queen. My brothers and I have
always believed ourselves to be princes among men. We believed this about ourselves before the notion of kings and queens
became a euphemism, in our community. My family is not wealthy. I grew up in a small house on the northeast side
of Detroit that we still own. My parents married before they had me and my brothers and we ate meals our together.
We went to church regularly and if we didn't we would watch Oral Roberts on TV. We had a close knit family. As
a result, I have enough self esteem for 3 or 4 men.
There is some truth to the notion that "breeding will out". Good looking alpha
parents, stability and a 2 parent income also had a substantial impact on my early development. I was fortunate to grow
up in a great neighborhood. We were never led to believe that we were better than anyone or less than anyone.
We are not "light skinned" or overly conceited. We would catch a severe beat down for any sign of hubris. We grew
up feeling loved and were secure.
Many of the people I knew from the hood have become famous in their own rights.
We achieved relative success, in part, because of the cult of personality that enveloped us, and in part because we were able
to sidestep the haters that put road blocks and obstacles in our way.
The Queen Mother
My mother was a very pious and spiritual woman. She had a
constant "air" about herself. In her later years, people treated her with the reverence she demanded. When I was
younger, my house was the gathering place for all of the kids in the neighborhood. Two generations of children/teenagers
were always there. No one disrespected her and no one had unkind words.
I have friends that have open disdain for their own mothers. Theirs faces contort
at the meer mention of the women that birthed them and raised them. When they speak about my mother, Queen Anne of Grixdale
Park, their eyes soften as they relate the times we had at the estate. At least one of my friends, The Prince of Darkness,
took refuge at the estate after a dispute with his father, the Sheriff of Goddingham. Queen Ann took him in
and care for him like her own. She was generous to a fault.
The Queen of Mid Town
When I abandoned my marriage, many years ago, I ended up in
the villa of The Queen of Midtown. Queenie is one of the most gracious women I have had the pleasure of meeting.
She has an "air" about herself that in my mind is royal. Queenie and her close friends are the most stable group of
women I know.
You get the most objective view of someone by how others treat them. Men kiss
Queenie's ass. She is the alpha female of her group.
Goddess, Queen M
Shortly after I finished my piece exposing my lust for Princesses,
I was summoned to appear before Queen Marilyn Monroe of North Pointe. I have known Queen M for over 15 years.
She is constant. She is timeless. When we are out and about, all eyes are on her. She has presence.
She also possesses an ass that mesmerizes men and causes women to mount stairmasters.
I could write volumes about this woman. It is Queen M that inspired me to write
this piece. She is one of the most ardent supporters of my artistic endeavors. But that's not why I love her.
She is earth mother. The ground shakes when she walks by. Men adore her and women grudgingly acknowledge her reverence.
She is the undoubtedly the sexiest woman I have ever met, hence the name Queen Marilyn Monroe.
All three of my queens have roots in the south. Queen Mother and Queen M are
from Alabama. Queenie's people are from Mississippi. Beyond these shores, these women of distinction's lineage
has to be royal.
The Heir Apparent
I started writing this piece in mid May. On June 3, I had
a conversation with a young woman, from here in the Midwest, who declared herself a Queen. It was a first for me.
We had had no discussion about this piece. Her declaration was spontaneous. In memory, I have not had a woman
claim queen before. Time will tell, if she be worthy of the title.