She is, first and foremost, black woman Cinnamon toasted almond skin Tight coiled tangled locks Rolling hills and valleys galore She is water Here to soothe parched lips and tongues Rain soaking and nourishing the earth A vast ocean with mysteries in her depths She is summertime Luxuriate in her sun Baptize yourself… Continue reading A Character Sketch
You were never broken You were always whole You may not feel at home in your body But you have every right to feel loved You are like Samson, drawing strength from your hair Changing its shape, like clouds in the sky Changing its color, like leaves in autumn Changing its length, texture, style… Continue reading A Home Body
We met in the cafeteria in fifth grade. A girl told me I wasn’t Black enough I carried that in my heart throughout my adolescence Distancing myself from who I was I hated myself as they hate me And here you are You’ve always been here, before me Before my mother’s mother’s mother You… Continue reading The Arch
Today is my birthday! And somehow in the whirlwind that has been the last few weeks, my blog has also had a birthday. Lately I have been reflecting on my intentions with this blog and the direction I want to go in the future. I am so proud of the progress I have made with… Continue reading Happy Birthday
I have been dying to tell you I’m sorry I’m sorry for the coulda beens and shoulda beens The missed opportunities I’m sorry for the fear that kept me Keeps me From authentically being myself around you I’m sorry I kept you in this box Of what everyone else thinks of you I’m sorry I… Continue reading I have been dying to tell you
If I could make a video of all of the things I want to share with you A selfish, one sided conversation There are secrets I wanted to tell you Ones made of blood and bone But you are not meant to be the one I share I remain here on my high horse Pretending… Continue reading A Coat Button
I don’t read reviews, so I sure as hell don’t know how to write them. When I started this blog, I wanted to be different and “original” and write essays/posts based on how the books made me feel and my thoughts on the books’ topics in relation to my sense of social justice. That’s what… Continue reading How Not To Write Book Reviews
A list of things I can share with the world A smile A frown Flipping myself inside out to share the raw, bloody side of me My voice My time A thread that connects us to this experience called life A dance A drink A feeling of wanting to be alive, Wanting to stay alive,… Continue reading A list of things I can share with the world
I really enjoyed Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino. Jia writes the kind of book I would love to write one day. It's intelligent, analytical, witty and laden with personal experience from her own life. She doesn't pretend like she knows all the answers or that her view is the right one. She… Continue reading Self-Delusions
I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical about reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. My friend lent me the book (without having read it first, I might add). I was convinced this was going to be some hoaky (this is definitely not a word) white people mess selling me self-help crap about living my best… Continue reading Big Magic, Humble Beginnings
