What we did and what we wore was ours, pure and rarely simple. They had to look at us. They had no choice…
We are the beautiful people…who scooped mud from the red earth and moulded our hair into sculptures that inspired and educated their masters. We are the beautiful ones who took what they saw as only a tablecloth and wore it as a skirt then as a shawl, then a gown then a crown, then at day’s end use it as a tablecloth and dine naked in our loveliness.
So to us, what’s a pair of jeans but another canvas on which to paint our portrait or another page of a journal to write our endless memoirs?…We turned all their punishment and persecution into possibility.– Michaela Angela Davis
Quotes
Faded Dreams…
“I wandered around my early twenties, paying rent and reading classifieds and wondering why the lights were not turning green for me. My dream was to be a famous musician (I played the piano), but after several years of dark, empty nightclubs, broken promises, bands that kept breaking up and producers who seemed excited about everyone but me, the dream soured. I was failing for the first time in my life.” – Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom
Day 22: Things People Say
Shame
You’ll be fine
I wish I was as bold
So what is it you do?
Where do you buy your clothes?
Oh, but you’re so strong
I can’t place you
Wow, you’re pretty
Who are you friends with? I always see you alone
If I knew where you lived, I would follow you home and rape you
Love your outfit
At least you’re not vegan
Your hard work will pay off
You look like you should be in…
What do you write?
You’re different
I would NEVER do that
What music are you into?
And your parents are ok with the way you dress?
Smile sweetheart, you look angry
Have you ever lived in Europe?
Why do you still buy CDs?
I don’t know who told you it was a good idea to shave your hair, but…
Are you really black?
THAT’S your ex?
I like you
Remember…
You are a mountain of a woman.
Perhaps too heavy for some.
In the world full of air, you are substance.
Consistently grounded, you give your truth,
With its bitter-sweetness. – Him
Wanting To Quit
You will always want to quit, because you’re not perfect. You will always want to quit, because you can feel everything. You will always want to quit, because you get lost in your own head and heart. – Jon Westenberg
The Strong Black Woman…
Day 14: Heartache
Pic courtesy of Check Out My Ink
It’s this heartache
That makes me go deep within myself
Poke holes into wounds
That should’ve been healed by now.
It’s a reminder of what I lack
What I should be chasing
What I should leave behind
Whether to cry
Sink
Feel
Fall into nothingness
Forget
Destroy
No longer care
Or
Re-evaluate
Search
Find
Trust
Keep moving
Set Boundaries
Hope
The Choice
“And cowardice is labelling what you don’t wanna change as innate”. – Wilson, House MD