Beauty Queen from Down the Road
Mardi Gras, 2011
Violet, LA
The Oyster Queen gets ready to greet her subjects.
She wears silly bands given to her by her three brothers,
and the magic sliver locket is from her boyfriend who is a cage fighter.
and the magic sliver locket is from her boyfriend who is a cage fighter.
Her crown stands nearly 6 foot tall.
Purple, it becomes obvious, is her favorite color.
Down the road, oysters signify abundance and community and water.
Living here all of her life (except for two years after the storm),
she knows the significance of the water.
she knows the significance of the water.
Water has the power to save or destroy her community.
But, parades are happy times, so she puts on a smile
and rides a convertible Mustang borrowed from a friend.
and rides a convertible Mustang borrowed from a friend.
She is very, very conscious that when her own daughter
is old enough to be Oyster Queen, there may not be any more oysters.
is old enough to be Oyster Queen, there may not be any more oysters.
But, she's only 17, and she's trying to finish high school
and she's working nearly every single day, and she has a boyfriend,
so she's not sure what to do about that.
and she's working nearly every single day, and she has a boyfriend,
so she's not sure what to do about that.