Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK Literary Cafe 2018 Mother's Day Issue | Page 7
Shakir Rashaan
Anyone who has ever been around me or followed
me on social media has probably heard me speak
about the women in my life. My Beloved, my
Beauty, my sister, and my daughter have all been
mentioned at one point or another. They are the
individual planets that rotate in my solar system.
But there’s one woman who is the sun in that same
solar system. The one who I will move heaven and
earth to make proud. The other planets in my solar
system revere her as much as I do, which is why
they all understand, without hesitation, when she
needs me for anything, it’s going to get handled.
That woman, that sun, is my mother.
While my grandfather may have launched the storm
that you know as Shakir Rashaan many moons ago,
my mother was the one who set the foundation for
that launching pad. All the books we read when I
was younger, the short stories I wrote for my high
school English classes; she was there for all of that.
Not only for me, but for my sister, Rae Lamar, as
well. How many mothers can say they have two
published authors as their children?
To this day, “Dear Mama” by Tupac Shakur sounds
off, letting me know it’s her calling without having
to pick up the phone. She has been, and continues
to be, the brightest star in my cosmos.
Since she has the propensity to kill me and the other
women in my life for buying her any flowers or such
for the holiday that celebrates moms everywhere
(even though we do it anyway, LOL), I will consider
this article my one Mother’s Day gift that she can
appreciate this year, and for many years to come.
I love you, Mom. In the immortal words of Tupac
Shakur, “There’s no way I can pay you back, but
my plan is to show you that I understand. You are
appreciated.”
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Shakir Rashaan is the author of In Service to the Senator and the national bestselling Nubian Underworld
and Kink, P.I. Series. He is also developing projects under the pen name PK Rashaan. You can find out more
about Rashaan at www.ShakirRashaan.com.
NKLC Magazine | 7