New script

Because I am open to love and love is all around me.

A poem a day for 2013 - day 249 - Days. Hours. Time.

These are the moments
The ones easy and ever
The ones simple to be remembered
My son's long limbs dangling past the edge of the sofa
The television
Rest
Heat
This summer heat
Laughter and friends
Conversation
About tomorow
About all those tomorrows to come
This is the now
These moments
To love
To cherish
Just because

A poem a day for 2013 - day 248 - Now

Today's poem of the day comes from a Facebook conversation I had with Karyn Carlo (whom I lovingly call, Karyn Carlo for president - but that's another blog post).

I posted this:

Dear churches, thank you for inviting me to perform at your (insert anniversary of something here). I really appreciate it. Here's the thing. I can no longer do this if your minister is just going to get up after me and preach hate. I just cannot. The good thing for you though, is that there are tons of poets who believe in the same kind of hate that you do. It sucks for me though.

Then I explained that my real frustration was with myself for not being as outspoken as I would have liked to have been in certain situations and that I felt guilt for receiving money/praise from institutions that promoted hate speech I speak against. 

She then asked me what I would say now. To which I responded (with a few lines edited) this: 

• 
  

We are all expressions of Source, Most, One, Creation, God

We are nothing without each other

His sin is not worse than hers, mine

What we spread and teach as sin is not how God sees sin 

It is shameful that I as a woman with only a high school degree 

Cannot walk into a kindergarten classroom and teach the alphabet 

But anyone can declare being called by God 

Then stand before a congregation and teach
Passed down poorly interpreted lies and hate
WAKE UP!

Birthday update

I had a super amazing, impromptu birthday celebration on my birthday last Tuesday. I haven't updated yet, because I have been getting some awesome sleep at night and have been working throughout the day.

This will be brief. I think.

Went to The Serving Spoon in Inglewood with family and friends for breakfast.
Friends had the great idea that we would get tattoos.
They chipped in and I was the only one to get tattooed. I love it. I really do!
Ate with Nspire at her place. She was with me all day.
Went to see The Butler with Nspire.
Went to Flight School (poetry spot) in Culver City.
Sometime around 2 am I got home.

And slept soundly.

Us

I had a refreshing conversation last night with Therman. Refreshing is not the word. A more appropriate word will come to me later. A conversation about the people of Syria. That's why I used refreshing in the first place. Because we, and by we I mean the people on the news and social media, keep referring to Syria like it's the old school game Battleship. Are we going to bomb them? Yes, bomb them! No, don't bomb them! Chemical warfare? Chemical warfare! Kill them! Don't kill them! We talked about them as people. They have faces. They have names. They have real worries about real life life or death. Where are these pictures? They are nowhere for us to see. You know why? Because it is easier to flip a coin and kill or not kill game pieces in some far away land than it is to look into cried out eyes of men and women. Of boys and girls. Of babies and elders. We have lost our minds. Our rogue, twisted, made up minds. Our dangerous, forgetful minds.  I had a disappointing conversation with Therman yesterday. About Syria. About humanity. About us (U.S.).

A poem a day for 2013 - day 247 - Syria. Revolution. Leaving.

These are people
Human beings like you
Like me
On foot
With clothes with food
With lives on their backs
With fear and faith
With the little bit of understanding there is left in the world
Leaving their homes
Because we might or might not
But probably will
Destroy land
Erase memories
Take freedom away

A poem a day for 2013 - day 246 - Terrain

There is a way he knows me beautifully
How he leans into me with the sweetests of secrets
I will be daisy if he asks me to
I will wait right here outside the shade
Because he is worth the sweat that will fall
From my patience
I will remember
I will remember mouths and ears
I will remember feet and thighs
Remember sweat and water and towels
I remember the best laughter
Touch
Kiss
Fingers
Everywhere fingers
And long drives through dark places
I will afraid with you
Getting lost with you
Was the safest found I remember

A poem a day for 2013 - day 245 - Celebration

I am moved today

Beyond what words there are

For me to say

I am loved so profoundly

So fingers and arms

Lasso all the love right into me

A poem a day for 2013 - day 244 - Night before

Tonight is the eve of my birthday
The day I was born
I was born
I was given a name and a life
I was given feet and wings
I am fly
I am clouds and words
I am so many words
I am journals and folders
Sticky notes
I am ideas for the next American novel
About a brown girl with struggles and dreams
Who leaps tall predators and racist employers
I am every flower I wanted for my bookshelf but didn't have the money for
I was born
I was given a life
I was given a mic and a stage
An audience a bright light
I was given emotions and heart
Emotions authentic raw ready
Are you ready
I have searched myself
All this human being I have become
All this woman I have fit myself into
All this kiss I have for you and for me
All this love I have to fall into
I was given life
Heart
Art
Words
Play
Love
Look at all this be
I have become

Photo by Holland-Reid Photography

A poem a day for 2013 - day 243 - Wave inspired

"The world treats curly haired children differently" Thea Monyee

The world will not save place in line
Will not accuse a curly haired brown boy as fast as one
Whose hair curls tight enough to be called course
Girls with nappy kitchens are not called exotic
We prove our worth with what we know
We are smart girls
We are cool
We tell jokes
We learn to swim in college
Boys were not taught to choose us first
We learn to value ourselves
Ourselves
We learn to pass this love down
Like scripture

Welcome here

My friends Shihan and Elsie had their baby tonight and they get my award for the most awesome baby name I've heard in at least ten years, which is...wait for it...wait for it...EVER Van Clief. What baby name have you heard recently fresher than Ever? What? Thought so.

Welcome to earth, Ever!