Linda Mayfield-Hayes was born in Brooklyn, New York on Valentine's Day 1953. She received her A.A.S. in Data Processing from Kingsborough Community College. Linda began writing poetry in her early teens, but soon abandoned her craft. She didn't lift her poetic pen again until 2003, almost forty years later. Today, she is the author of three collections of poetry, "Afroetry", "Life Is A Roller Coaster" and "Life Is A Roller Coaster 2".

"Writing poetry is a great release, which allows me to gain a greater perspective on life." - Linda

Amias

An African American beauty
My soul sistah
Inspiring others
As she goes through life with the
Strength of a lion.

© March 12, 2004 Linda Hayes

[Table of Contents]

Linda Diane Mayfield Hayes

(Tribute poem written by Amias)

Love of expression creates an avenue
Inside her soul for others to view
Native New Yorker, a city’s child
Dreadlocks of freedom her native style
Acquiring

Dreams of
Independence
Awakens her spirit
Nudging a child into an early
Evolution of womanhood

Men, fearing brawn, a sister’s whip
Angry words from a lover’s lips
Young bodies yield to hot fingertips
Forced to see that love costs
Invasions of grandeur in every thought
Eyes of the blind awakens to see
Life raging inside a black sea
Daring the goddess within to be

History becomes her teacher
Ambitious desires her new feature
Yahweh seen as a friend 
Evolving to be neither woman nor man
Self powered by the goddess within

© March 13, 2004 Amias

[Table of Contents]

PAIN

You’ve brought much pain into my life.
You tried your best to break me,
beat me down.
Guess you didn’t realize who you were dealing with.
I have a strong mind
and an even stronger spirit.
I will fight back.
I have withstood the pain of childbirth,
so I can take anything you may dish out.
I refuse to be crippled by you, so be on your way
arthritis!

© Linda Hayes, March 24, 2004

[Table of Contents]

Sisterhood (Acrostic)

Sometimes life presents us with an opportunity to meet some

Incredible women, with whom we feel an immediate bond.

Supporting each other by sharing our experiences.

Teaching one another through those experiences.

Every woman, be she black, white, red, yellow or brown

Reaches a point in

Her life where she finds it necessary to

Open her soul to someone, and that someone can

Only be another sister, who is

Daring enough to reach back with an equally open heart and mind.

© Linda Hayes, March 21, 2004

[Top Of Page]