Words as Healing
"Poetry is my way of processing the world, of finding beauty in struggle, and of honoring the resilience of Black women and communities."
Featured Poem
The Circle
From Healing Verses (2023)
Written for the South Chicago Black Mothers Resiliency Project
We must recreate the circle— a collective vision for radical African healing in community. Where ancestors whisper through the wind, and children dance on sacred ground, we gather, we remember, we become. The circle holds our stories, our tears transformed to rivers of resilience, our pain alchemized into power. In the center stands hope, unwavering, unbroken, a flame that cannot be extinguished. We are the circle. We are the healing. We are home.
The Circle
Healing Verses (2023)
We must recreate the circle— a collective vision for radical African healing in community. Where ancestors whisper through the wind,...
Resilience
Healing Verses (2022)
In the marrow of our bones lives the memory of survival, coded in DNA, passed down through generations of strength....
What's Left Behind
Documentary Poems (2024)
In the wake of violence, what remains? Empty chairs at dinner tables,...
Democratizing Health
Justice Poems (2023)
Health is not a privilege, it is a birthright. In every neighborhood,...
Black Motherhood
Healing Verses (2021)
To be a Black mother is to love fiercely in a world that does not always love your children back....
Poetry as Praxis
Dr. Mendenhall's poetry emerges from her deep engagement with communities, her research on resilience, and her commitment to healing. Each poem is both an artistic expression and a form of scholarly inquiry—exploring themes of intergenerational trauma, Black motherhood, community wellness, and hope.
Her work has been featured in academic presentations, community gatherings, and the award-winning documentary "What's Left Behind?" These poems represent a bridge between rigorous research and the lived experiences of the communities she serves.