In early 2024, I shared the image that accompanies this piece with my elder sister, Juka Fatou Jabang. Almost immediately after seeing it, she called me. She said the image carried a profound message and asked what had been going through my mind when I took it.
I could not answer her. Perhaps I did not yet have the words. She laughed gently and said she would think about it.
A few days later, she sent me a poem inspired by the image. That poem appears below.
Juka Fatou Jabang is a distinguished Gambian poet, author, and literary voice whose work has long engaged deeply with questions of identity, society, and the human condition.
Writing since the early 1970s, she has published widely within Gambian literary circles and is the author of notable collections such as The Repeal and Other Poems (2005) and The Phoenix (2012). Her work, celebrated for its depth and social consciousness, has earned her several accolades, including the Tijan Sallah Prize for Gambian Poetry.
Juka graciously consented to the publication of this piece. I have written the accompanying note to provide context and reflection: to explain the personal significance of the image and poem, to highlight the quiet dialogue between her words and my lived experience, and to articulate why this moment feels especially meaningful as the year draws to a close.
The end of the year invites pause. It calls us to look back, to take stock, and to listen more carefully to what the months have quietly taught us. It is in that spirit that I share this poem and reflection.
What follows is the poem my elder sister wrote after seeing the image I shared with her. It is a meditation on time, memory, and the silent conversations we carry within ourselves.
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