The Ralonda Simmons Memorial Endowment

Written By Meca'Ayo

Ralonda Simmons’ book of poetry, Whispers & Conversations, begins with “A Blessing.”

I loved opening up her book to that blessing the night of her book launch, June 22, 2024 at the Vintage Theatre in Aurora. It felt right, and totally in alignment with who I had gotten to know Ralonda to be. It still makes me smile to open up to that blessing as I write this note about one way to honor a really beautiful human who spoke from the heart and with healing wisdom.

I think that often it is so telling the caliber of human one was in the way their friends band together to ensure their memory, and to help their work ripple a bit further to inspire others on their paths forward. That is why I wanted to do a little boost of the Ralonda Simmons Memorial Endowment at Metropolitan State University. “This scholarship honors Ralonda’s “dedication and focus,” supporting students who have the courage to stop “disavowing” their own brilliance and instead lean into their natural gifts,” states the memorial endowment webpage.

If you would like to contribute to the Ralonda Simmons Memorial Endowment, you can do so by clicking this link. And in the meantime, here’s that blessing poem I was talking about:

A Blessing

Here we are, finally,

from these hands you birthed yourself,

gestated with time, attention,

with purpose, you stood up

in this world. I hope you ascend

to your highest vision, becoming what

those who have come before haven’t yet.

I hope you fly to the side

of whoever needs you,

ready to soothe their pain,

able to highlight the connection

to their holy humanity, from yours.

I pray you save some lives,

pull somebody back from the ledge,

or better, prevent their feet from stepping

onto it in the first place.

I hope you still make your ancestors proud,

shining in their reincarnation,

continuing to link their chains and tears

to their liberation.

I pray you usher in a new day,

changing this world into something

much better than the one you inherited,

into which you came,

spreading light into any boardroom, courtroom,

statehouse, pulpit

you may find, waiting for a revolutionary

to open their hearts and ears

to your purpose, to feel a phrase

that further turns the world

and makes it more in line

with the vision God created.

Meca'Ayo