The dark side
He doesn’t like that the world has changed can’t fathom why the superheroes ofhis youth would be anything other than the color marked “flesh”in his childhood crayon box Can’t see thathis own progeny...
View ArticleThe crooks
Inspired by Resmaa Menakem's work and teachings ... and a recent podcast he was onYour body was not your ownit served at the pleasure of the kings and elitestheir feasts and festivities fueled by the...
View ArticleMirrors
We can only see ourselves in the reflections off other people — April PAD day 8 prompt: metaphor
View ArticleHuman/nature
Wouldn’t it be nice if we saw ourselves as animalsinstead of projecting humanity onto creatures incapable of our cruelty —April PAD Day 9: persona
View ArticleGet out of the car
For 2nd Lt. Caron NazarioHe was pepper sprayed for questioning an authoritynot his commanding officerpeppered in "what's going on?" as things got heated"get out of the car"“just comply” he was told,...
View ArticleConviction
The voices of the deadcannot speak, butif they could they'd rise up through the throatsof the jury "guilty," convict the killer cop—April PAD day 12: use three of the following six words: convict,...
View ArticleWaiting to breathe
She doesn’t pass wouldn’t want toalways seems to be holding her breath dark skin a beacon beaming Blackness without apology a light to her sisters and lure to lynch mobsthat could be around any corner...
View ArticleCounting sheep
They corral us togetherfeed us the samestraw theoriesknowing there’s no substance nothing to stomachbut plenty to chew onas they try to convince usthat the wolvesare our caretakersthey think we’re...
View ArticleLove your neighbor
Love your neighboryour good book says, but you believe your Middle Eastern messiah was miraculously white, feel affinity only toward those who look like you, not the ones he would have loved You pick...
View ArticleThoughtless
There is no thinking withyour heart, it only knows how to feel to beat, to keep driving love/life forward —April PAD day 25: thought
View ArticleAssent
How lucky am I to be born with such beauty that you cannot look awaykeep your hands offkeep your cat callsin your mouthmust thrust your desire into the worldinto me to hold for youwithout my consent...
View ArticleQuestions
I have so many questions so much hurt to understandbut the only one that mattersis how do you open your heart?— April PAD day 24: question
View ArticleWhat’s the matter?
We believe we are separatefrom the Earth from each othercan’t see all the emptiness that connects us —April PAD day 27: believe or don’t believe
View ArticleExalted
You worship me asyour goddesspray that I’ll save you kneel at my altaruntil I fall from grace when yourprayers are not answeredmy whole heart can't mend your broken onecannot love away your loneliness...
View ArticleThe dance
There is no hard line between sunset and night, the oranges and pinks give way to the inky blues and purples in a dance, a caress,they embrace each other alwaysbut we cannot see it from where we’re...
View ArticleRooted
when autumn arrivesand leaves begin to fall i remember that i am the treenot the golden leaf spinning gloriously to the ground
View ArticleIf my life is like a tree
have I let myself be rooted in the shade of others? Have I turned my leaves toward any shiny object mistaking it for sun? Do the twists and turns of my journey gnarl like an oak or splay to the sides...
View ArticleCaptivated
Catching up with you is like catching butterflieselusive and brief but beautiful __April PAD day 4 - “catch up” poem
View ArticleBlank slate
I took your words as promises, as plans, but they were just possibilities —April PAD Day 6 - a blank poem
View ArticleHeart of glass
When they tell you to make art of your painthey don’t tell youthat you’re going to feel itso deeply that itrewrites your insides like doodleson scraps of paperthat harden into glass and scrapeyour...
View Articletickled
There are not enough fingers or toes to count how much you tickle me—April PAD day 12 - counting poem
View ArticleElectric company
When the power goes off in the mountainswe snuggled close, letting theelectricity of bodies light up the room brighter than any fire ever could —April PAD day 11 - powered
View Articlereturn
when my heartfeels too big to holdi return to the landlet my tearswater the groundwind stroking my hairin Mama's lapbirds calling me tobe stillbe hereGaia holds my anger and griefshe feels it tooall...
View Articlesol mates
The sun kissed youbefore I couldstole your lipsfrom the trails theywere meant to blazeon my skinto follow thefreckled pathways only youknow how to navigateconstellations on collarbonesready for apair...
View ArticleGrandmother holds me
Grandmother holds meher bosom bouldersher chin hairsmighty pineseven covered in snowshe blankets me with warmthstrokes my foreheadwith soft windlets my tears fallInto her meadowed lapsometimes...
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