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I’d rather be around a passionate nerd than a non-passionate cool person. Because if you lack passion, your soul is diminishing by the second. You have to be passionate about something. Call it obsessed or whatever you want, but be obsessed about something. Obsessed people care. I’m passionate about so many things, it becomes an issue at certain points, but at least you have the ability to feel that much about something.

Matt Cohen (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

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🙏🏼

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Touched by An Angel by Maya Angelou We, unaccustomed to courage exiles from delight live coiled in shells of loneliness until love leaves its high holy temple and comes into our sight to liberate us into life. Love arrives and in its train come ecstasies old memories of pleasure ancient histories of pain. Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls. We are weaned from our timidity In the flush of love's light we dare be brave And suddenly we see that love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free.

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Love is life.

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Joy!

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Grit -

Would you rather be an unsung music or an unread chapter? Would you rather be a figment of imagination or an unkept promise?

This world as we know it tilted towards a rhythm of chaos when Eve exercised her influence over Adam even to the amazement of the deceiver, that devil.

When lightening strikes it reminds me of the forbearers, the battles yet to be fought and the many commitments left amiss.

I am told that the women before me were strong and wild, I am expected to be nothing less. But when I clocked 30 and death banged on my front door, I learned how to pick my battles.

I am not better than a cupbearer. My fingers just learned the art of peace faster, classier, in written words.

Every woman needs a warrior, who carries faithfulness and truth like a sword and shield. Every man needs an amazon, who switches between a pair of sneakers and stilettos with ease.

If I live long enough to birth my kind I would want them to think of me as the one who did not travel a straight path: The rule breaker, the promiscuous one, who touched the full moon with bare hands.

I was told the women before me were soft and subservient. But now with I AM, my grit not amiss, we are building a castle with bare hands in the wilderness of Serengeti.

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❤

Interview with Ijeoma Umebinyuo

Women of color don’t often have the luxury of sitting down to read poetry in which the words are affirmations of our lives, our pain, our love, our happiness, our sadness. We’re told to quiet ourselves, that our experiences aren’t as important, they don’t matter to the rest of the world. Our love, our resilience has allowed us to push past such notions. I remember being curled up in bed, reading Questions for Ada and feeling such gratitude that Ijeoma Umebinyuo had written such beautiful, heartbreaking and affirming words.

(Picture of author from her Facebook page)

In the place of my usual Feminist Follow Friday column, I am happy to share my interview with Ijeoma. I also hope that those of you who haven’t yet read Questions for Ada, will soak in her poems with as much love as I did.

When did you first start writing poems?

My father insists I began writing when I was seven years old. I remember writing poetry at the age of ten. The same age I fell in love with books and writing.

(Picture from @theijeoma)

Who is your intended audience?

For a lot of people who do not see themselves represented often in literature. For African girls and boys. For black girls. For women with color. For immigrants. For those who feel alone. For mental health. For everyone and anyone who believes that healing is needed, that narratives like mine are not only important but very necessary. Ultimately, I am writing because of the human experience.

What parts of your identity contribute the most to your writing?

My identity as an Igbo woman, as an African and a child who was born and raised in Nigeria.

If you identify as a feminist, how has it influenced your writing?

I am a feminist. I am a womanist, I am aware of what happens when race and gender are erased and it is important none of that is done to me. 

For a woman to write, to speak, to narrate and to curate stories like I do, being a feminist isn’t an option: It is a necessity.

What is your writing process? Is it free-flowing, unexpected, edited, careful?

Sometimes, it is free-flowing. Sometimes it is sitting up all night and editing. Sometimes, it is unexpected with editing afterwards. Careful? No, I believe in writing dangerously.

I cannot think of a single poem that I read in Questions for Ada to which I didn’t connect to. Every one was affirming and healing. Who inspires your poems?

Thank you for connecting to my words. You know, while writing, I am inspired by my grandmother who was stopped from being as equally educated as her brothers because she was born a woman. I am inspired by my grandfather whose storytelling skills are unmatched.

I have found that as a WoC that making a space for myself within this world can be difficult but reading your poems helped me see that there is room for us, for our ideas and emotions. Is there anything in particular which keeps you receptive to all the themes you write about without feeling like you need to shrink yourself or words?

I am a strong believer in knowing who you are and what you believe in. Writing to me is political, I have grown and will keep growing with my writings but the foundation of who I am will never be compromised. I believe in knowing your power and using that. I believe in finding your purpose; growing and constantly learning. I will be the first to tell you that nobody will tell me who I am, just like Chinua Achebe said. I believe when you find your voice, you have to unwrap it and use it. It is very important.

When has shrinking ourselves because of fear helped us? It has never helped. Fear is an emotion that should visit and when it leaves, it should make you brave. It should make you want to do more, create more and learn more. Fear is normal but when we let fear stay too long, it paralyses us.

You see, we are privileged to have platforms to celebrate us. Platforms we can use to make our voices heard, why not use it? What is fear? If the truth is on your side, what is fear? Believing in fear makes us shrink, makes us disbelievers of our power. The more we think our voice is not important, the more we lose our right to own our narrative.

There has never been a group of people whose loss of their narrative did not contribute to their downfall, the story you tell is the most powerful. I come from an oral tradition, I believe that the written word combined with the oral tradition of storytelling is even more powerful. The written word cannot be erased. Political dissidents are prosecuted for writing, how powerful is that? That writing stands in the face of oppression and does not back down. We must always remember, we have the key to that room, the room where your ideas and emotions are welcomed. You have the key.  I know who I am and where I am from. Shrinking myself is not an option.

Thank you for the interview @theijeoma! Follow Ijeoma on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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It is okay: To dare. To fail. To cry. To love. To laugh. To dream. To fall. To rest. To stand. To move. To leave. To stay. To live. To pause. To breathe. To rise. To rise. To rise. Be light. Be fuel. Be fire. Be life. Be real. Be friend. Believe. Be free. Be you.

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you’re not the same person you were a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago. you’re always growing. experiences don’t stop.

take advantage of this. be proud, be happy. enjoy every moment.

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Amen: A miracle

We need a fresh miracle. Like, water turned into fine wine type. Or feet walking steady on water. Or a net flung into the sea overwhelmed with a robust catch.

You know, that type that will breathe life into dead bones and cause many to cry: take me to your Lord.

Mouths agape, with tears of joy, flowing freely, like broken beads set free from its string… Unashamed.

A miracle birthed from this goodness– the goodness of our LORD that never runs dry. He is our Rapha, and His name is Amen. 🙏🏼

2Corinthians 1:20; Rev 3:14

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Psalm 23 (who is God to you?)

Thanks for the tag @afolayanesther 😊. Here is my version of the #psalm23challenge:

1. The Lord is my Warrior and has made available to me ALL that I will ever need. 2. He makes me, trains me and leads me - through low fields, high mountains, raging storms and calm seasons of life. We bear good fruits together.

3. He knows when I run off sometimes and run on empty or in error. Nothing catches Him by surprise. But still He takes me back and refuels my inner-man so that I can honor Him and not bring shame to His name.

4. Sometimes it gets really dark and I walk through the corridor of death itself. But I come out alive because of this living God who is forever the life of my light and light of my life. 5. Thank you Lord for always being my sufficiency and showing me off as a living example of your amazingness. Because of your love, I have more than enough.

6. Your presence excites me. Everything about it is good. Plus I really like gathering with others to worship You. Keep me humble. Keep me solid and holy. As long as I breath, use me as a channel to express your great love to others, especially the unreached.

*** Take the challenge 😁 Did I change the rules 🤔 Well, well… what is your story?

#psalm23 #HolyBible #takethischallenge #impassioned #prayitforward #lightofmylife #lifeofmylight #iamnotashamed

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Empty to fill

Oh Light of my life and Life of my light! Empty me of self, Lord, and fill me up with Your Holy Spirit.

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Sometimes your circle decreases in size, but increases in value.

Unknown (via deeplifequotes)

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Yes