Marie Laveau was the Voodoo Queen
Untold thousands were helped by her magic
She offered cures, prosperity, and hope
To lives that were oftentimes tragic
This infant was born in the Vieux Carré
September ten, 1801
A native Creole by birth
Her gifts were to shine in the sun
Her father was a plantation owner
Her mother, Marguerite, a free black
Marie was at first a hairdresser
But luring rich clients proved her knack
She learned to do voodoo from Doctor John
Mixing African and Catholic rites
Marie reached the spirits through music and dance
Rich and poor, women, men, blacks and whites
Marie had a snake she named Zombi
Voodoo rituals at Congo Square
She sold gris-gris and charms and amulets
And was known to arrange an affair
A Frenchman named Louis was her partner
Marie had fifteen children in all
One daughter was later a voodoo queen
But most died before they could crawl
Marie saw her clients at Maison Blanche
They often were wealthy white men
She offered them stunning black lovers
Who were housed in a French Quarter den
Many do view Marie Laveau as a saint
Faith healer, a midwife, a nurse
She ministered to convicts condemned to death row
Helped them ward off a hex or a curse
Marie’s home still stands on Saint Anne Street
She died there in June eighty-one
When buried in Saint Louis Cemetery
Her life after death had begun
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