By Brandon Basheer Umar Pemberton

In the kitchen, where the great smell always bloomed,
Carroll’s cakes and cookies filled every room.
With a heart so sweet, like her pies and her tarts,
She fed our bodies and nourished our hearts.

Friends and family gathered around her table,
Her food a legend, her love made me stable.
Cupcakes, brownies, her signature touch,
We loved her deeply, she meant so much.

Yet life wasn’t easy, and decisions were made,
In ’89, she left, seeking a safer shade.
Abuse and pain marred her path and ours,
But she sought new hope, despite the scars.

Years of hurt, a childhood tough,
Her choices haunted, life was rough.
A new husband, struggles anew,
Her love still shone through the blue.

Forgiveness seemed so far away,
Till I found Islam and learned how to pray.
In 2014, my heart found peace,
Thankful to Allaah, the pain was released.

My faith softened my soul, a bridge to mend,
And I was able to be with her at the end.
Her firstborn, from first breath to last,
Beside her, present, as she finally passed.

I called her to Islam, tried my best,
But Allaah’s will was different, yet I found rest.
She lived her way, and I found mine,
In those final moments, our love did shine.

Carroll’s cakes and her loving hand,
Her story woven in life’s grand strand.
Though her choices hurt, and paths were tough,
In the end, her love was enough.

Now I remember her, the good and the pain,
The sweet moments shared, the tears flow like rain.
Grateful for the peace, the love, the break,
For Carroll’s cakes, and all she food she’d make.

This poem is dedicated to my mother Umm Brandon Darlene Gail Carroll July 4th 1956 to August 22nd 2016