I’ve reduced my social media time by quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. Mostly because I am exhausted, and when I’m exhausted I tweet without thinking, and I’m not about to get into trouble. Not with the people who love me, but with strangers who have no context for my story or who I am.
Last month I tweeted about how I declined an offer to a white evangelical space for my own health and was accused of racism by random strangers. A few years ago this would’ve shaken me up and I would’ve explained myself profusely but I no longer spend my time giving it away to people who are committed to misunderstanding me.
Instead I am spending my time in wonder.
I am in wonder at the magical ways in which Black art is giving me life every second of the day and holding my grief all at once.
I seem to be stuck on the words of Alan Pelaez Lopez and the words of Nikki Giovanni.
In their book Intergalactic Travels: poems from a fugitive alien, Alan speaks of the ways in which the Black undocumented body experiences the range of emotions of being AfroIndigenous (which is beautiful on its own and hard by outside circumstances) and undocumented (which is just hard).
One of their poems is about the death by suicide of Joacquin Luna Jr. who couldn’t take the weight of being undocumented anymore. The second part of the poem is about the death by murder of Trayvon Martin. In different ways, both executed by empire.
Today I am thinking of Amir Locke. I’m so exhausted of empires killing us, aren’t you?
As I listen and pay attention, I am dreaming and praying the words of Alan with which they end the poem with, “I want the world to love us and hold us.”
Ten words is all I have to give Creator as my prayer. Ten words are holding me together.
I am committed to love us and to hold us. May the world join in.
Notes:
I featured one of Alan’s poems on the QUNI Instagram page. To buy their books you can go here. Their Instagram handle is @migrantscribble.
I’ve relaunched my podcast - El Cafecito with Karla. I hope you listen and let me know what you think!
Now Playing:
Banho de Folhas by Luedji Luna
Thank you for being here. I am honored you choose to read my words.