Wasted Blessings
There are few things more satisfying than the sight of a full refrigerator. There is a comfort in knowing that whenever hunger strikes, you have plenty of food and a plethora of options. However, I recently determined that staring at…
No Coincidence: Connecting the Dots between the Past and Future
One month after a major life change and one week before my biggest poetry performance to date, I had one of those rare life moments in which you are able to connect the dots between your past, present, and future.…
A Magical Moment
Throughout these Olympics games, I have not been able to watch a single gymnastics competition without crying. Without fail, Simone would go tumbling through the air on the floor exercise or Laurie Hernandez would take a daredevil leap from the…
Spoken Word: It’s Personal (Black Lives Matter)
I am grateful for all the photographs of black boys and men that helped make up this project. I received a significant amount from parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and friends – essentially the village that helps to raise…
Roadblocks
My eyes and mind are always a mile down the road. Whether I’m driving or simply living, I am always thinking ahead, trying to anticipate how things will unfold so I can be as prepared as possible. However, I am…
Beauty Shop Lessons in Faith: Vision
The thing about transitioning to natural hair – texture tug-of-war, thirsty tresses, and failed hairstyles notwithstanding – is the uncertainty of it all. It is the torment of not knowing. It is the present suffering on behalf of an unknown future. It is…
The One He Loves
I recently spent some time in the book of John and found myself chuckling at references to “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (13:23, 19:26, 20:2). The disciple is unnamed and there are few descriptors to make his identity certain. The…
