Megan Duffy Brown

Originally from New Orleans, Megan Duffy Brown is a queer poet and writing coach/editor/tutor living in coastal San Mateo County. Her poetry has been published, most recently, in Poetry Ink, an anthology curated by Moonstone Press, by MiGoZine, and in Forum Magazine. In 2020, her poem “Life at the Center” was selected to commemorate the first anniversary of Jose Castro’s painting of the Middlefield Mural in North Fair Oaks, Calif. Before she began writing, Megan was involved in survey research and community organizing and worked to support the efforts of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Nevada. Since March 2020, Megan has hosted a few online poetry events for artists both in and out of San Mateo County and now welcomes invitations to public appearances and in-person collaboration. She is proud to serve as a current judge for the local Word Slam youth poetry contest.

Poem on Belonging

I AM FROM

I am from a sliver
from a bowl of water 
and polite requests for gold

I am from a damp oasis 
of reptiles
beguiling, ancient
under the shade 
of wide-open hands
where Spanish moss dangles

I’m from an education 
in difficult spelling 
(Tchoupitoulas)
and hugging the tearful

From lower your voice! and 
speak your mind!

I was once from 
the Baptists who hopped the fence
I’m from a city 
that care should recall

from bejeweled sugar-bread 
the root in coffee
from canoeing 
to Mom’s hospital job
through the ‘83 flood

grab bags 
of photographed joy
line my cypress dresser drawers

I am from 
that first spark of light 
a fern frond unfurling 
for a certain healer 
and a certain sailor
one long ago
aureate dawn.

Speak Poetry in San Mateo County