excerpts from Grewal et al’s “Charting the Journey” — ‘just weeds’, she said ‘what about seeds?’ Black woman catapulted globally… refused out of a desire to keep value of having plenty (relatively) And here too the people with power remained silent burn our lips Lay down and I struggled with it and panic and hurt and fear biggest and most lasting impact common blood…

excerpts from Chris Abani’s “The Face” — Reality is held in Igba Iwa, the calabash of existence an unbroken chain of purpose stretching the way light shimmers through the water calmness, serenity, sensitivity, insight, inspiration — a river, ugwu bu nkwanye nkwanye — respect is reciprocal maternal grandmother’s lineage was Strong, traditional culture from Oxford no less …

This is God’s love sound — silence God’s love sound drifts in when wide awake such is goodness & grace from this longing drowns, damn near inundates identity — images of ‘me’ mixed up w/ misery loves company so can’t be still to know that I am eludes all reason don’t think: a way the one lighting the light is already light in this world is God in drag but the world is a drag as 4gotten it’s God — Self sunk…

A path to liberty — Know you are the obstacle and the path too, liberty — then, get out of your own damned way w/ realization Remember none of your beliefs/ fears/ desires are real and what you have is always never enough then, stop pretending to exist — particularly w/ fear Drop it, constant regret, doubt…

excerpts from June Jordan’s “Lyrical Campaigns” — What kind of person could kill a Black child and then kill another Black child and then just to sit there/target [a] man’s body at auction This great American poet of democracy a burning river as cosmos formerly citizens of some acceptable position but there was a child went forth everyday one full Black lily above the…

This is not a guide to simply Being — Let your heart guide you to where your body will end up or, in fact, already is this is what we are called upon 2 do w/o doing — simple living, becoming w/ no purpose no goal no objective no need, no — thing to prove existence is worthy always baggage (emotional/social/cultural/historical) all are unnecessary for this soul mission called Being for the world is nothing its people, nothing too, so what…

excerpts from Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s “Decolonising the Mind” — deprived of the use of his language Nyaangwĩcũ is danced on one leg cut off from his people ‘an impulse’, ‘an unrehearsed’ act of ‘personal’ generosity to cut all links with this homeland neo-slaves, are openly announcing the theft and robbery of the nation home even more divided an instrument of colonial policy leg…

excerpts from Víctor Terán’s “Poems/ Diidxado’” — The earth is like a great comal above God’s hot coals in my hand it lies dying the turtle dove that dreamed of cooing you to sleep Just yesterday I was a bell joyfully coming and going Why is it birthed in me to knife the heart Now bring me the…