Four stars form a row across her collarbone, divided in the center by a necktie. A smile forms when thinking about her most colorful tattoo — a rainbow on her left arm, which blends into two turquoise clouds. Underneath the vivid arc, in block lettering, are the words “Astoria, OR.”
Jasmine grew up loving the ocean, and memories from childhood vacations with her parents to the quaint, historic town are with her forever.
The significance of those memories is different now than ever before. Jasmine’s only son, Darius, is in Syria, where he is serving in the Army following multiple tours in Iraq. His absence weighs heavily on Jasmine.
The two spent uncounted hours together as Darius grew up with her in a house she has since sold as it fell into disrepair, a decision she now regrets. Jasmine doesn’t get to have contact with Darius when he is overseas. The silence — in addition to the uncertainty — can be staggering. But she has confidence that her only child will come back safe.
“I just know that he knows what to do and how to go about things,” Jasmine said.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Jasmine was raised in a military family. She and her parents moved to Fort Bragg, N.C., shortly after she was born and then again to Fort Rucker, Ala., while her father served in the Army. The family, along with her two younger siblings, then relocated to the base in Lacey, Wash.
This is where Jasmine’s interests in dance and music flourished. She started playing cello and violin in fourth grade and developed her musical catalog by listening to everything from classical to gangsta rap. Her affinity for jazz remains strong to this day, as has her appreciation for the arts.
Jasmine recently submitted a poem to Street Roots. She feels a stronger connection to the paper now compared to when she first started as a vendor. She gets recognized at the Rose Quarter, where she works twice a week, by people who say they were looking for her. Multiple customers return every week and know her on a first name basis.
Jasmine hopes to buy a house again one day. She recently spent more than a month between places while on the waiting list for an apartment in downtown Portland. In addition to working as a vendor, a dancer and occasionally as a bar-back, she volunteers downtown at Sisters of the Road Cafe, mopping and cleaning the lobby, wiping down tables and working at the front desk.
At times, she said, she feels worn down, but selling Street Roots helps keep things together while Darius is abroad. She temporarily lived without a place of her own. Along with one day owning her own place again, Jasmine envisions herself seated with her cello in a jazz band.
If there is a sharp vision of that day, Jasmine will be playing with a new tattoo. It will feature the 503 area code, honoring a place she calls home that has a special place in her heart alongside the coastal city forever in her memory.
Street Roots is an award-winning, nonprofit, weekly newspaper focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. Our newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Learn more about Street Roots