Jayla Jones
collector of stories
Jayla Jones is sixteen years old and is a junior attending the Minnesota Math and Science Academy. In 2020 her mother Josalynn died, leaving her and her sisters in the care of their Aunt Jacy. Jayla will forever remember her mother’s smile and how it would light up the room. She was a kind person that always put others before herself.
this rain hits hard
like the bitter memories of loss
The rain reminds me of how much has been lost since my mother’s passing. Each drop hits hard and washes me with the memories of what she taught us. My mother is my waterer to this day. The memories of her rain down on me, and in my sadness, I learn how to continue. I will hold each teaching in my heart, knowing that the rain of memories will come and go and nurture me as I become an adult.
waterer portraits
photographed by Tomas Leal, TJ Lor & Sai Thao