Last month’s cosmic online Brilliance Remastered Intensive “Begin: Seven Possible Futures for the Black Feminist Artist” was on some Alpha and Omega intensity. Yes. Because of the Solstice. Yes. Because it was during Octavia Butler’s birthday. Yes. Because it invoked the recent afro-futurist issue of Obsidian. And also because we committed to be reborn and renewed. We created a chorus of affirmations for each other out of our deepest and most nagging fears. And we emerged from the intensive with some clarity we want to share with you. So we are offering our final poem to you. Once again, it works best out-loud. It works even better out-loud with a group of people repeating the refrain. But if it’s the middle of the week and you are already ready to drop the mic, this is the poem for you either way.
P.S. Sign up closes FRIDAY for next week’s online intensive “Become Turquoise: Intergenerational Accountability” you can find out more or sign up here.
that is all
by the participants in Begin: Seven Possible Futures for the Black Feminist Artist
“it meant that life was precious and could spill. it meant spirit was sticky and could stay.
and actually that was all i was trying to say.”
-from “Seven Possible Futures for the Black Feminist Artist” by Alexis Pauline Gumbs in Obsidian Vol 42 Speculating Futures
that is all
by the participants in Begin: Seven Possible Futures for the Black Feminist Artist
let play move through you like prayer
that is all i was trying to say
all truth comes out in the cipher
that is all i was trying to say
we didn’t arrive here all greedy
that is all i was trying to say
we have three billion years of knowing in our bones
that is all i was trying to say
the function of all our organs is love
that is all i was trying to say
water your spirit regularly
that is all i was trying to say
trust your heart
that is all i was trying to say
you always get to keep yourself
that is all i was trying to say
redevelopment for whom?
that is all i was trying to say
home is where the homies are
that is all i was trying to say
the ancestors have instructions for revolutionary social change
that is all i was trying to say
love is the reason and the remedy
that is all i was trying to say
love wins
that is all i was trying to say
magic momentum movement manifestation
that is all i was trying to say
black feminism lives
that is all i was trying to say
black girls keep making art even when no one gets it
that is all i was trying to say
listen to sly and the family stone and all will be revealed
that is all i was trying to say
you already earned the stars
that is all i was trying to say
if you allowed your brilliance to shine it would power the world
that is all i was trying to say
Mama Octavia said “but there are other suns”
that is all i was trying to say
we can’t not deal with emotions in trying to make a revolution
that is all i was trying to say
there is so much more beneath the commodification
that is all i was trying to say
vanilla, sugar, rice and breathing are brown
that is all i was trying to say
poems and pyrex are both containers. fill them up. pass them around.
that is all i was trying to say
there is enough food and poetry for everyone
that is all i was trying to say
let prayer move through you like play
that is all i was trying to say