Ricks unapologetically delves into addictions, love, sexuality, the Black experience and mental health struggles, including grappling with her own reality of living with bipolar II disorder and PTSD.
Pain is what threads the poems together. But through that pain, she says, there is power and beauty.
Growing up in Harlem in New York City, Ricks’ rich cultural upbringing inspires her bold voice. By age 12, abandoned by both of her parents, she was out in the streets, “raised by people of the underworld” — hustlers, pimps that never let her fall victim to what was going on around her, but not without hardship.
Poetry, which she started writing in middle school, was a way for Ricks to release the weight of what she endured, but otherwise couldn’t outwardly show.
“Ain’t nothing like a child being out there in the world with no guidance, no direction from somebody that’s supposed to love them,” Ricks said. “I had an older sister who was addicted to crack cocaine by the time I was 14 years old. So I really had nobody. That pain came with a lot of trauma. That’s where the writing truly began. When I picked up that pen, [it] just started coming out. And it came out raw.”
Intelligent, with “a mouth that could sell water to a whale,” she wanted to become a lawyer. Ricks graduated from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and expanded her horizons by studying international law in South Africa — an experience that deepened her understanding of global human rights issues.
With over 20 years’ experience as a senior corporate paralegal, she continued to sideline her creative passions until she committed to them full time. She realized if she continued on the path in law, she would mentally condition herself for theoretical writing, taking away the magic she had creatively. So Ricks made the switch.
She started performing her poetry at NYC’s Nuyorican Poets Café, and around the Bowery and 125th St. in Harlem. When COVID hit, Ricks relocated to Dayton, where her mother’s side of the family hailed. The temporary stay turned into a permanent one.
“Dayton has absolutely historically been the city of innovation, and you definitely feel that spirit when you’re here,” Ricks said. “So I said, let’s go on and continue to plant those seeds and grow with the way that Dayton is growing.”
But those New York roots are still prominent in her debut poetry collection, too, weaving in and out of mania and depression with vulnerability and honesty, with photos providing visual context to words that can even make the unaffected squirm.
Towards the end of the book, a QR code hangs under the title “Crack Cuticles.” There is no poetry, rather a line of instructions: scan to watch the YouTube video. Scanning redirects to a video titled “August 2, 2023.”
The video has two parts: the first half is of Jameelah’s older sister, in a van in front of the Lincoln Projects on 35th St. and Fifth Ave., eating a seafood boil; the second half is of her sister, coming home from her job as a home health aide, relapsing on crack cocaine.
It’s a gut punch, a truly visceral thing to passively experience.
When asked why she chose to include a link to the video in a book of poetry, Ricks said: “I wanted people to humanize [her], especially an African American woman who went through the struggles of drug addiction. In the midst of all that, she lost her mind, but she was still beautiful to me, and she was still my sister. And she matters.”
Like every component of the book, there is power in pain. In that — by talking, writing about the pain — comes power and beauty.
Ricks’ Dayton business, Harlem Healers, inspired by her own journey, focuses on bringing back the importance of writing in underserved communities. Through storytelling and poetry, Harlem Healers is founded on the idea that writing can heal. It offers poetry writing courses and wellness coaching, as well.
Jameelah hopes her dedication to helping others empowers individuals to be authentic and true to themselves.
“Being a black woman and having mental health issues, it’s still not something that is out and openly spoken about,” she said. “But you don’t have to be afraid of that. You don’t have to keep that quiet. You can share that with the world.”
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
“The Sonnets of a BiPolar B*tch: Poems and Mental Health Affirmations” is now available in paperback, eBook and audiobook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baldwin & Co. and the Dayton Public Library.
More info: harlemhealers.com
About the Author