a heartbeat pulsating as living light
free from each and every limitation
I Am that dwelling in unbound delight
the source wherefrom arises creation
I was the silence before the first breath,
the nameless spark when the waters were deep,
older than memory, untamed by death,
waking the quiet where centuries sleep.
No cage of bronze can encompass my reach,
no boundary bends the scope of my sight,
I am the ocean, the wave, and the beach,
the shadow that bends to give birth to the light.
I walk through the world, yet I am not the clay,
I am the fire that burns in the marrow,
the endless horizon breaking the day,
the flight of the bow, the space in the arrow.
Unbound and unformed, yet forever complete,
I step from the silence and step into song,
the void and the fullness where all rivers meet,
the place where the stars and the echoes belong.
The truth, the passion, and the Poet
Ridin' high, the truth is told, passions and poet collide,
Igniting the shadows with fire and light!
My heart is open, free to decide,
I break to the open and soar with the bold!
Passions collide with the woman I know,
The fire is rising, I let it ride,
No longer walking with stories untold!
I've crossed the wild and rocky range!
The fire is lit and I let it glow!
My heart is free and it feels so strange,
Untied from the stories of my former age!
Passions collide as the high winds blow!
Feeling the heat as my fires rage!
On top of the world I fly,
With every heartbeat I feel the pride,
Kissing the past a sweet goodbye,
The truth, the passion, the poet and I!
— Debra
You can talk behind my back, decide what's false or true,
but the truth is I'm unbothered that you watch my every move.
I'll rise until I'm everything you wanted but outgrew,
and you'll just keep watching, knowing I became the best without you.
Say what you want about me, I'll keep shining all the same,
you can talk forever while I elevate my name.
If my light feels blinding, I won't wish your vision burns,
but I'll pass you sunglasses, love, so you can watch and learn.
Self improvement
Is self empowerment
Your worth defines
Your value
What you do daily
Defines your journey
Leading you to destiny
According to your input.
Self improvement
Is self elevation
You move without stagnation
When there's a given task
You act without hesitation
Showcasing your ability
Not acting like a liability
Hindering your prosperity.
Self improvement
Is self awareness
Knowing your capability
Maintaining stability
Always striving for liberty
Not fitting into society
Always facing reality
Nailing every opportunity.
Scared, Yet Unbroken
Scared I'll be the burden that they name,
Scared my laugh will call them to complain;
Scared they'll put my heart aside as blame,
Label me "unwanted" in their frame.
Scared my life will slip to average size,
Scared to dim beneath another's eyes;
Scared to marry only to economize,
Scared my worth will fold into disguise.
Scared to mother in a life of small designs,
Scared our days will tally like thin lines;
Scared the future's gate with quiet signs
Will close on dreams and file them under "fine."
But listen, fear is not my final song,
I am more fierce than what they think is wrong;
I will shape my name, I will stand my strong,
I will claim a place where I belong.
Not just a woman boxed to fit their plan
not merely measured by a nameless man;
I am a storm and I am also land:
owned by no one, steady where I stand.
So keep your judgments I will keep my flame;
turn your "burden" shouting into my name.
I will not vanish; I will not be tame
I will live loud, exact, and boldly claim.
In the dark of night, shadows danced, whispers of injustice echoed through time
Black men sought escape in new, destructive habits
Dreams faded like smoke in the air, leaving lost souls and shattered hopes
The barrier of getting a black lad a decent life aroused depression, but black men, we are
We rise, but do we rise taller or merely wiser?
We rise from the ashes of pain, while claiming our space and our pride
In the face of adversity, we won't hide, we march on with fists clenched high
But, how will we experience triumphs while we lack cooperation?
Broken chains reveal broken minds, struggling to unite, weighed by internal demons
Yet in vulnerability, we find unbreakable strength,we rise, unshaken
For black men, we are unbreakable
To the woman who carried us in her womb,
To the woman who cherished us before anyone else,
To the woman who loved us unconditionally,
To the woman who took care of us till her last breath,
To the woman who wept when we were in pain or sick,
To the woman who taught us everything about life,
To the woman who accepted us beyond our imperfections,
To the woman who was brave enough to fight for us,
To the woman who tirelessly gave us her endless time,
To the woman whom God created with a soft physique and strong heart…
You are all doing great!
We are all doing great!
I am doing great...
First, they sent the dogs
And it became a dog’s toilet,
So, we moved to more remote areas.
Then they burnt the restaurant
So, we carried our own water and fruit
To the fringes of the liveable sands.
So as not to dry out like desert dates
We became slimmer and saved money.
Then they closed the parking lot
So, we walked miles on foot
We got fitter and saw more of nature.
What we saw became more beautiful
With each countering passage
For those of us who persevered.
Now there is hardly a soul left,
But those who are, are strong and fit.
Dune flowers are blooming again
Without the constant threat of trampling feet
And everywhere you can hear the rhythm of the sea,
White waves breaking and reforming refrains
Without the cries and shrieks of spoiled children
Or the barking of undisciplined domestic beasts.
We felt how beautiful everything is
Sub-human, man absent from God’s creation.
And even his attempts of countering and ruin
Were turned into creative and regenerative forces
Within us now greater love’s awareness courses.
We started talking like it was no big deal,
Laughing at jokes, trading what we feel.
He asked how my day went, I asked the same,
Maybe this could be more than a game.
He smiled at the things I’d say,
We messaged back and forth all day.
So I showed him my world, unique and loud
The things I love and what I’m into.
But then his replies started coming slow,
Short and cold, like he didn’t know
How to handle the real me inside,
So he pulled back, stopped the ride.
He didn’t say we’re through,
Just left like none of it was true.
I sat there wondering if I was too much,
For simply being who I was.
I’m done erasing what I love
Just to be liked at all
If being real means he walks away,
Then he was never meant to stay.
I’m not a mask you wear for fun,
Then ditch the moment you’re done.
I’m worth someone who wants all of me,
Not just the parts they’re willing to see.
So if it starts again with a simple “hi,”
I’ll be myself and won’t ask why.
If he stays, then good that’s my cue,
If not, I’ll be just fine without you.
To have lived this life I’ve led and followed, to have given, to have received, and not forgotten what trespassed, remorse has ran its course. Our ancients DNA, and futures generation from me giving way. It was what on earth I was born for. Choices have been made, patterns set, pounded dogs on obstructed pavement met, trekking through jungle’s wilds, and massive labyrinths. I am not the same as before, and possibly ever shall be again. It all seems small. A dimensional me lingers, as well it should, as a reminder of the unfree, mazed in confinements adrift. I sit in a cloud amongst the other clouds, weighing heavily, measuring my myself, maturity, legacy, releasing ego's symptoms, until I acknowledge me, [karma] slowly shall I ascend into its black hole. Set in perpetual motion, an abstract me. I look back with open eyes, wide awake and I begin a new journey, a journey
of all journeys. To keep on path...
...let open your eyes
self-redeemed, shakabuked _/\_
broken & subdued
by BaMuata
A poem celebrating Black history and humanity's endless possibilities*
We are the light shining bright,
Through centuries of struggle, standing in our might,
From ancient kingdoms to the modern day,
Our brilliance illuminates the way.
We are the dreamers, the builders, the bold,
Stories of resilience, forever told,
In every generation, we rise and fight,
A beacon of hope, shining ever so bright.
We are the artists, the poets, the sage,
Writing our truth on history's page,
Through music and movement, we stake our claim,
A legacy of greatness, etched in our name.
We are the scientists, the leaders, the wise,
Breaking through barriers, reaching the skies,
In every field, we make our mark,
Turning shadows into light from the dark.
We acknowledge all possibility within,
A place in humanity where we all begin,
United in purpose, diverse in our song,
Together we're powerful, together we're strong.
We are the past, the present, the future untold,
Hearts full of courage, spirits of gold,
In celebration of Blackness, we stand in our right,
Forever and always, we are the light shining bright.
Just because you don’t see beauty
in the softness of my body
doesn’t mean beauty isn’t here.
Just because your eyes stop
at my size,
doesn’t mean another man’s won’t keep going
won’t see me,
all of me,
and call it breathtaking.
I could be the kind of attractive
that makes someone grateful,
the kind of woman
someone looks at and thinks,
how did I get so lucky?
And if you think intimacy
is limited to one version of desire,
one narrow idea
of what it’s supposed to look like…
then maybe you’ve never met someone
willing to explore,
to learn,
to love creatively.
Someone who doesn’t treat my body
like an obstacle,
but like a place
to worship.
Someone who finds ways
to be close,
to be tender,
to be hungry for me
without needing me to shrink.
Because the truth is
your inability to want me
is not proof that I am unwanted.
It’s only proof
that you were never the one
meant to hold me.
They judged my body
like it was evidence.
Like it was proof
I was less than.
They never asked
what this body survived.
What this spirit carried.
What this mother endured
while still showing up
every damn day.
I bled in silence
and called it strength.
I prayed with shaking hands.
I begged God
to make me smaller,
so I would be easier to love.
That’s the kind of damage
the world does
when it teaches a woman
her worth
lives in her appearance.
But I am not built
by their opinions.
I am built
by survival.
By prayer.
By ancestors
who did not break
so I could doubt myself.
There is something holy
about a woman
who has been through hell
and still chooses softness.
There is something dangerous
about a woman
who finally knows her worth.
If you could not love me
when I was tired,
triggered,
healing,
still learning how to breathe
you do not deserve
the power
I am becoming.
You do not get
to dishonor the storm
and then expect
to inherit the peace.
I was sacred
when I was breaking.
I was sacred
when I was doubting.
I was sacred
before I ever believed it.
And now that I do
I am no longer asking
to be seen.
There are moments I catch my reflection
and quietly wonder—
What the hell am I doing?
I start to doubt myself,
question my worth,
second-guess every decision.
But then I look up at the stars
and remember—
beautiful things are born
only after they’ve exploded.
So I’ll keep feeling everything,
resist the urge to numb my thoughts,
and let myself erupt—
a brilliant, messy
explosion of thoughts,
of feelings.
Even when the voices say:
Conform.
Fit in.
Don’t be too much.
I’ll burn brighter because of it.
I lay to waste
Earth-centered
omnisciently questioning life,
overindulging Anthro-preoccupied
questing enlightened faith
Wasting Anthro-centered
wealthy sacred life,
overindulging Ego-preoccupied
hunting haunted organic lust
Wasting Ego-healing opportunities
for Earth-centered yielding trust,
greedily grabbing for immortal identity
Laying to waste
Earth-centering communion
omnipotently questioning mind re-imaging life
unconditionally extending
body remembered love,
overindulging Anthro-monopolized
power questing infamy
Caste abolishing
Anthro-decentering
wealthy organic EarthTribe
healthy sacred life.
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