the current state of things

From James Baldwin’s lips to Goddexx’s ears…

“Whoever has emerged victorious participates to this day in the triumphal procession in which the present rulers step over those who are lying prostrate”
-Walter Benjamin

How insane does one have to be at this point to attempt to write about/address the current state of the world right now? [[Gestures broadly at everything.]]

Empathy and compassion are lambasted and demonized while facts and data are manipulated to support a twisted narrative.

This is not a world I could have even imagined was possible 15-20 years ago.

All I know is that writing helps me find meaning and purpose—two things I cannot live without. And that during the moments when I can barely see through the haze of lies and deceit, I will do my best to keep my eyes on what is both important and real.

Here’s a little ditty from my time at the Mother’s Milk residency last month. May it serve as my own personal reminder for how I want to move through this world.

Reframing
I don’t want what I haven’t got,
I want to be wholly committed to everything that is already mine.

I don’t want to be defined by others’ expectations of me,
I want to continuously discover new ways of being in the world.

I don’t want to lose anyone that I have ever loved,
I want all my beloveds to have the permission and freedom to independently evolve alongside me.

I don’t want the world to be at war,
I want to embody peace and abolition in all my relational exchanges.

I don’t want more power-hungry men in charge,
I want anyone with human compassion to act on behalf of those who cannot advocate for themselves.

I don’t want fame, power, or exorbitant wealth,
I want to live a quiet, simple life, filled with meaningful exchanges.

I don’t want more than anyone else,
I want to share in the world’s bounty, knowing that all my fellow humans have what they need.

I don’t want to live in a world where evil forces prevail,
I want a world where those with empathy in their hearts are empowered to question authority and think for ourselves.

Hope is a feather
detached from its mighty wing
remembering wind.