Last night a trans-atlantic group of self-identified black woman, femme and/or gender-non conforming survivors gathered digitally for My Name is My Own, a resilience and renewal session.
Guided by June Jordan’s “Poem About My Rights,” we opened ourselves up to “all of it disclosed by the stars and the silence…”and invited the ancient wisdom of our ancestors and our own knowing into the space in celebration of the wise darkness of this phase of the moon.
We asked ourselves “what in the hell is everyone being so reasonable about?” and gave ourselves permission to be angry and honest about the impact of violence and even the ways that we are violent with ourselves when we force ourselves to be reasonable in unreasonable circumstances. In preparation for the coming new moon we released our acceptance of the unacceptable…with breathing, with fire, with water, with flushed toilets.
We got specific about what Jordan calls our “simple daily and nightly self-determination” and celebrated the sacredness of our care practices, our joys, the rituals that hold us here, the soil that makes the world we deserve possible. We reveled in the truth that despite everything we have filled our lives with love in infinite small and large ways.
And finally we reclaimed our names in a group poem to share with you! I recommend reading and repeating this poem out loud. It feels amazing. If you have the opportunity to read this with a group of black women/femme/gnc survivors it will align your chakras, fix your computer and heal your soul.
*If you want a chance to gather together check out next week’s Brilliance Remastered online intensive Last is a Verb: Archiving After the End of the World or Nobody Mean More to Me Than You, the Brilliance Remastered Fall Retreat in Durham, NC in October.
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My Name is…My My My
“my name is my own my own my own”
-June Jordan “Poem About My Rights”
my name is
creation
creation
creation.
my name is
an answered prayer
an answered prayer
an answered prayer
my name is
so sincere
so sincere
so sincere.
my name is
making space
making space
making space
my name is
here
here
here.
my name is
my choice
my choice
my choice.
my name is
my truth
my truth
my truth.
my name is
yes
yes
yes.
my name is
louder
louder
louder.
my name is
taking back power
taking back power
taking back power.
my name is
my yes to the spirit
my yes to the spirit
my yes to the spirit.
my name is
openhearted
openhearted
openhearted.
my name is
love
love
LOVE.
my name is
a hundred ways to kiss the ground
a hundred ways to kiss the ground
a hundred ways to kiss the ground
my name is
gratitude
gratitude
gratitude
my name is
the precious sound of their prayers
the precious sound of their prayers
the precious sound of their prayers
my name is
grasping at the root
grasping at the root
grasping at the root
my name is
forgiveness
forgiveness
forgiveness.
my name is
letting go
letting go
letting go.
my name is
all the gentleness that i’ve ever wanted
all the gentleness that i’ve ever wanted
all the gentleness that i’ve ever wanted
my name is
the red in the colorado twilight
the red in the colorado twilight
the red in the colorado twilight
my name
is a healing song
is a healing song
is a healing song
my name is
a dance of joy
a dance of joy
a dance of joy
my name is
the power of black feminism
the power of black feminism
the power of black feminism
my name is
Africa
Africa
Africa.
my name is
a word written in your heart
a word written in your heart
a word written in your heart
my name is
all of you
all of you
all of you.
my name is
come with me
come with me
come with me
my name is
all of us ever
all of us ever
all of forever.
my name is
the loudest high five
the loudest high five
the loudest high five.
my name is
got that right
got that right
got that right.
my name is
sho nuff
sho nuff
sho nuff.
my name is
say that
say that
say that.
Last week as everyone was reminded again of the urgen
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