wishes fulfilled

Imagine...from Yolo Akili

2009-06-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a minute. A world with no racism, no sexism. No patriarchy, no Homo-phobia no Ableism.

Imagine.

Difference is celebrated. We are different people, different languages, different cultures. Yet none are considered superior to the other, all are seen to be of equal value and importance.

Imagine a world where violence was not the rule of survival. Where dicks are not weapons of mass destruction. Imagine children are safe from sexual assault. Rape is unheard of.

Imagine it is a common cultural belief that our bodies, in all of thier different shapes, sizes and hues, are seen as vessels of the divine. Imagine we are taught ourselves that we are divine. That God, Goddess is us. That we have inner power and immanent value. That "god" loves us by simply living within us. By animating us with life energy .

Imagine.

Imagine we have many identities; children are encouraged to create thier own language to name themselves; we are all able to name ourselves as we wish.

Imagine.

No Homophobia. No fear of same sex desire. It is ok to love openly and bodly who you desire. We are not force fed heterosexuality or taught sexism from birth. No one is told they must be something based on their physical body. We are allowed to be what we wish.

Imagine. Narrow categories of gender do not exist. We express as we wish, in whatever capacity we choose. We wear colors on whatever body we chose and thier are not repercussions.

Imagine, affection and sensuality are of equal value as penetration and orgasm.

Imagine.

Animals that are eaten are honored in their life. Treated with respect and dignity. Thier are no steriods.

Imagine the earth itself is treated with respect and dignity. That our lives are centered around the replenishment and sustenance of the planet, because we all believe in many ways the planet is ourselves.

Imagine, we live in connection with the earth, with technology that provides comfort and engenders sustainability, and does not pollute.

Imagine we loved to love instead of loving to hurt.

Imagine a world where the denigration of others is not entertainment. Their is no Jerry Springer, no reality shows where people are "othered" and introduced as "freaks" to make us feel better about ourselves.

Imagine a community - Where privacy and accountability struck a balance. Where no phenomenon is seen not to be apart of the greater whole. Where we didn't dissapear into "nuclear" families,living behind closed doors and shut blinds, keeping all our pain and challenges inside, homes ultimately designed to self destruct...

Imagine a world where the study and love of the self was valued. That children and people were taught that to understand life, they had to first explore themselves.

Imagine.

Sometimes I do. Because at the end of the day, another world is possible. And that world is always us. And I believe we always have a chance to be that world every waking moment.

But i think before we can end the isms, before we can end oppression and violence. Before any of that can happen...We have to first imagine...

ya know?

Yolo

wishes granted thru what u learn from urself

2009-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

what is the difference between me and the person created in all the info about myself i transmit thru my phone? or computer?

my frend talking about kids coming up today constantly constructed thru digital persona, its a very powerful tool for self realization, make it urself because everything in society negates u. in school i didn't pay attention in class, just wrote in my journals, all thru all the classes i could get away with it in, still passed because i'm smart, now i understand what i was doing, writing a book, but the white man english teacher

i once gave him a zine of mine with mostly poetry, all true, he said "just because its about something painful doesn't make it good poetry," no joke. i was writing about my life.

once he surveyed us in ap english class, 11th grade, about our exposure to arts and culture, me: so talented that my kindergarten painting won a traveling contest through all texas art museums, the survey existed to make me ashamed for not having the exposure,

it took college to give me the analysis for that, the only weird girl, poor mixed trash in the class, everyone else was white living right on the lake, no one from my neighborhood in that class,

otherwise maybe i would have stayed repressed and self-hating, took nervous breakdowns, decompensations back into crazy to give me the language for this

i had exposure that i had always been having thru the internet, i had to think hard about untwisting this knot in my stomach, the digital divide, how did we get on the internet? my dad drove a busted caprice three days from texas to drop off a computer to our apartment and every grocery store had 25 free hours of aol on discs at the exit, we worked it out, i never thought about it but what did my mom use the comp for? i know what i used it for, now

studies show that youth use the internet to supplement their education by doing extensive research into areas that they can't get at school- when i saw the study i was like oh yeah thats what i did, got on the internet and got way into life saving self publishing with other adolescent/teen girls healing from violence and abuse. now high school kids at the alt high school in my hometown can get credit for doing online classes. studies show that women who write give themselves better health, what would happen if we push the shifting; if all creativity is pushed out of school, work and public life, what would happen if u could get ur degree making art, zines, crafting a difital prescence? or get paid to heal in traditional ways and creative ways? if all the work u did to heal urself or tell ur story was valued?

if making the truth is what u have to do

From Louise Gregory

2009-05-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

....I wish I knew how to get rid of my OCD.

SPEAK!: a CD by Radical Women of Color

2008-12-18T06:16:00.001-08:00

Wish

2008-11-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

I wish I were pregnant.

Self Measuring

2008-10-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

I wish that I could see slow processes of projects as a natural timeline of development, not as a measurement of personal progress.

Wishes for Trenton

2008-06-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

by Janeria

1. You are free from all constraints, nothing stands in your way; not ignorance, not sickness. You are boundless.
2. I am no longer considered the one who made it in spite of you; we all know I made it because of you.
3. Your men are strong, powerful, and wise; they choose their own paths.
4. Your women are strong, wise, and loved for their beauty; they also choose their own paths.
5. Your men and women work together; you love and would do anything for each other.
6. Your children can play outside without the fear of losing their lives.
7. Your young men don’t have to form a new family to feel love; for love is abundant and overflowing.
8. Your young women know their worth; they carry themselves like the queens that they truly are.
9. Your family structure has been restored.
10. What’s yours is yours, and yours to share; no one has to take anything from anyone.
11. Your streets have long since forgotten the scent of blood.
12. Your schools are successful, and the press leads the city in praises. Everyone graduates with honors.
13. The bridge now speaks the truth. The world really does take what Trenton makes.
14. When people leave, they cannot wait to return. Everyone gives back to the community.
15.You have all let go of your dirty habits. All of the bars and liquor stores have closed; cigarettes don’t cross into the city limits.
16. Unemployment is a faint memory. We’ve almost forgotten what these words mean.
17. The state prison has been moved. There is no need for a prison in a prisoner-less city.
18. The gangs have laid there flags to rest.
19. We are all one big happy family.

without incident

2008-04-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

one day, i wish i could be touched/without jumping out of my skin/without wondering when tears will start/without fearing other expectations/without trembling until my teeth chatter/without wanting to throw up/without having to throw down

one day, i wish i could be touched/without penetrating questions/without accusations/without remorse/without pain/without longing/without irritations/without bug bites or cloth burns/without bruises/without blood/without suffocation/without supplication

one day, i wish i could be touched/without boarding my senses up/without cutting my words off/without holding my thoughts back/without denying my desires/without losing my religion/without shielding arms/without imploding

one day, i wish i could be touched/without saying i love you/because we'd have contact

Our Wish Fulfilled!

2008-04-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

a wish from jaz

2008-03-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

I wish that all women could cultivate the goddess within ourselves and each other.

90 Minute Wish

2008-03-31T08:24:00.001-07:00

I wish for 90 minutes everyday like the 90 minutes of the session we helped build this weekend where womyn of color envision, create, and speak to the rich vitality of their lives, honor their foremothers who loved them, and share the struggles of their shadows.

2008-03-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

all palestinians every where envision themselves as part of a nation, past the confines of statehood and borders, that we are growing and building together.

To my mother, myself, and other survivors of domestic and sexual violence...

2008-02-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

This list is dedicated to my mother, myself, and other survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The number of items, 39, represents the number of years my mother has survived an abusive marriage with my father. The list is a work in progress:

1) People are turned on by what you say and not by what you wear.
2) Your lovers respect you out of love and admiration.
3) When looking for work, building friendships, or making love, there is equal balance in power on all sides.
4) When you speak, your accent always enhances the profundity of your words.
5) At all learning institutions, teachers and instructors are aware of your presence and the learning needs of others like yourself.
6) Others do not see you as up for game as you walk to the corner store and any man that comes to close proximity is not a threat.
7) If you feel that the fire has burnt out, your lover will not manipulate you into staying.
8) Your body is unscarred and holds memories of only love.
9) Your heart is unscarred and unafraid to love.
10) You control who has access to your body.
11) Your lovers remind you that they are blown away by your keen insight and intelligence.
12) Male leaders in your community are genuine, consistent, and acknowledge your skills as necessary assets to your community.
13) The female leaders in your community are plentiful and draw from their experiences as women; they are a reflection of you.
14) Financial difficulties have never been a factor in deciding whether to bear children or not.
15) You feel alive, healthy, and strong in your body, all the time, everywhere.
16) What, how, and where you worship has never incited fear or violence.
17) All human touch you experience from others will come out of love.
18) You are calm, comfortable, sociable, and happy around others you don’t know.
19) No one will try to isolate you from the people you love.
20) You know where you came from, what your name is, and where you want to go.
21) You have memories of your father guiding and loving you with words of encouragement, inspiration, wisdom, and love.
22) Your cultural practices are valued by those different than you.
23) There is no dominant culture; the only thing dominant is diversity and love.
24) Nobody takes you for granted.
25) Your children are safe wherever they are, whomever they are with, and whatever they are doing.
26) Any country you choose to travel to acknowledges the strength, value, and inner-beauty of all women.
27) You can acquire clothing and other goods without wondering if other women and children were abused in the process of its creation.
28) When you speak, others listen.
29) Every opportunity for intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth is available to you just when you need it.
30) When others use your name in conversation, you are assured that they refer to your greatness and talent.
31) When you dream, you smile in your sleep.
32) When I smell your scent in a piece of garment, I am reminded of memories of you as always happy, free, and loved.
33) Your children admire your strength.
34) There is always time to pursue what your heart desires.
35) You know what your heart desires.
36) Your stories are considered anecdotes for wisdom.
37) You consume food without guilt.
38) Every tear your have shed has been out of joy.
39) Every moment you spend alone is done with self-love and out of choice.

investing in wishes

2008-02-28T16:09:00.000-08:00

two weeks ago i created a wish jar. in it, i put my own wishes. i also added cards with words that remind me to wish.

this is what i added today:
"read wishes outloud as much as possible and live like they are already are true until they become simple facts to dress ourselves in and celebrate. --lex"

Wishes Fulfilled

2007-12-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

What follows is a poem/wish list/meditation that I made as an act of love and healing for the black women in my communities. I was able to read it at the site of a widely publicized instance of violence against black women this past weekend as part of the National Day of Truthtelling in Durham, NC.

And learn how to make your own "get close: the intimacy of protest" installation here

Find out more about the Day of Truthtelling here

Feel free to pass it along, whisper it to yourself daily (which i like to do), or just enjoy!

peace,

alexis

"wishful thinking" or "what i'm waiting to find in our email boxes"
(with Mendi and Keith Obadike--www.blacknetart.com-- in mind)

dedicated to the black women at Duke and North Carolina Central Universities and you

1. you wake up each day
as new as anyone
there is no reason to assume
you would be supernaturally strong.
there is no reason to test your strength
through daily disrespect and neglect.
you don't need to be strong.
everyone supports you.

2. if you say ouch
we believe that you are hurt.
we wait to hear how we can help
to mend your pain.

3. you have chosen to be at a school,
at a workplace, in a community
that knows that you are priceless
that would never sacrifice your spirit
that knows it needs your brilliance to be whole

4. your very skin
is sacred
and everything beyond it
is a miracle that we revere

5. we mourn any violence that
has ever been enacted against you.
we will do what it takes
to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
to anyone.

6. when you speak
we listen.
we are so glad that you
are here, of all places.

7. other women
even strangers
reach out to you
when you seem afraid
and they stay
until peace comes

8. the sun
reminds everyone
how much they love you.

9. people are interested
in what you are wearing
simply
because it tells them
what paintings to make.

10. everyone has always told you
you can stay a child
until you are ready to move on

11. if you run across the street
naked at midnight
no one will think
you are asking
for anything.

12. you do so many things
because it feels good to move.
you have nothing to prove
to anyone.

13. white people cannot harm you.
they do not want to.
they do not do it by accident.

14. your smile makes people
glad to be alive

15. your body is not
a symbol of anything

16. everyone respects your work
and makes sure you are safe
while doing it

17. at any moment
you might relive
the joy of being embraced

18. no one will lie to you,
scream at you
or demand anything.

19. when you change your mind,
people will remember to change theirs.

20. your children are safe
no one will use them against you.

21. the university is a place where you
are reflected and embraced.
anyone who forgets how miraculous you are
need only open their eyes.

22. the universe conspires
to lift you
up.

23. on the news everynight
people who look like you and
the people you love
are applauded
for their contribution to society.

24. the place where knowledge is
has no walls.

25. you are rewarded for the work you do
to keep it all together.

26. every song i've
ever heard on the radio
is in praise
of you.

27. the way you speak
is exactly right
for wherever you happen
to be.

28. there is no continent anywhere
where life counts as nothing.

29. there is no innocence that needs your guilt
to prove it.

30. there is no house
in your neighborhood
where you still hear screams
every time you go
past.

31. no news camera waits
to amplify your pain.

32. nobody wonders
whether you will make it.
everybody believes in you

33. when you have a child
no one finds it tragic.
no map records it as an instance of blight.

34. no one hopes you will give up
on your neighborhood
so they can buy it up cheap.

35. everyone asks you your name.
no one calls you out of it.

36. someone is thinking highly of you
right now.

37. being around you
makes people want to be
their kindest, most generous selves.

38. there is no law anywhere
that depends on your silence.

39. nobody bases their privilege
on their ability to desecrate you.

40. everyone will believe anything you say
because they have been telling you the truth
all along.

41. school is a place, like every other place.
no one here is out to get you.

42. worldwide, girls who look like you
are known for having great ideas.

43. 3 in 3 women will fall in love with themselves
during their lifetime.

44. every minute in North Carolina
a woman embraces
another woman.

45. you know 8 people
who will help you move
to a new place
if you need to.

46. when you speak loudly
everyone is happy
because they wondered
what you were thinking about.

47. people give you gifts
and truly expect nothing
in return.

48. no one thinks you are
over-reacting.

49. everyone believes
that you should have all
the resources that you need,
because by being yourself
you make the world so much
brighter.

50. any creases on your face
are from laughter.

51. no one, anywhere, is locked in a cage.

52. you are completely used to knowing what you want.
following your dream is as easy as walking.

53. you are more than enough.

54. everyone is waiting
to see what great thing
you'll do next.

55. every institution wants to know
what you think, so they can find out
what they should really be doing,
or shut down.

56. strangers send you love letters
thanking you
for speaking your mind.

57. you wake up
new
as anyone.

-Alexis Pauline Gumbs April 2007