What are we trying to do right?
If we are activists, then what are we speaking to?
Social inequalities and injustices, mass incarceration and prison reform, and a more whole society where all kinds of people are accepted
But how do we do that?
We create organizations and speakers to go out and spread those messages in order to better perform humanitarian acts right
And a lot of these socially conscious people have a holistic or spiritual lifestyle
but what is that
Well if we say that’s who we are, then in that lifestyle we understand the necessary nature of all things, the complimentary relationship of all, and that we are all one, so all things impact each other
yet we go about creating change by separating and tackling symptoms but not digging for the roots to see the causes
It’s like we get stuck on the business side of things where we have to direct a mission statement that tackles identifies and directs itself to an easily absorbable problem in order to be digested by many and then we lock in on that one avenue, but cures tackle a multitude of things from a multitude of ways
but humanitarianism inside of capitalism gets reverted to business and a business has a one track mind of problem and solution, supply and demand, results results results
now you can’t go at the roots, because you need to show financial viability, we get lost in our immediacy, here and now, short attention span world that we only serve instant gratification
we cater to trends instead of courageously creating new trends-new waves innovated to get more people lost at sea to shore, instead of creating content and delivering it in a way that demands attention, we just say people have no time, now by shortcutting the process we short change the impact and the people we are trying to help
we’re scared of risk tho this is all risque
When trying to change things we have to speak about everything, the conditioned mindset, compassion and empathy capacity, by informing and relating, speaking of experiences and trauma not only the system, it has to be personalized, because the system is made by flawed people, but the system is just a thing done by people, it’s not a person, we need to be champions of people, not systems.
Words have meanings and connotations, the broad strokes we paint over process experience and solution does more to disconnect with the paths of certain people, solutions need a personal touch
we seek anecdotes with various methods that are tone deaf, so I searched synonyms that painted a picture of how most people go about finding anecdotes
as follows:
nostrum-an untested and questionable remedy made of secret ingredients, an ineffective solution…
this perpetuates a cycle of diagnose and need
panacea-a universal solution for all problems, diseases, or woes…
but all classes and experiences aren’t created equal
Impasse-a situation that seems to offer no solution or escape, a point of stalemate…
the flaws of a system narrate this definition
Catholicon-a universal remedy…
sounds Catholic, kind of passively coercive
Ratiocinate-to work toward the solution of a problem through logical thinking and reason…
but where does spirituality apply?
In order to want to help people you have to be able to get in touch with your humanity and willingness to listen outside of what you believe you know, in order to do that we have to be comfortable with digging deep, and if that’s hard then we have to have people around that help and make that journey safe and show how to safely do that, we have to reintroduce proper love of others and love of self
we do that by our stories, sharing our truth, so people can see where we are similar, makimng it easy to listen trust and unite, while not seeing our personal beliefs as lines of separation but as doors of oppurtunity to share oneself with another, both by teaching and learning, thereby creating understanding, a common ground
When I’m released, I will go out and work for universal unity, and through that we will create ever lasting relationships consciousness empathy and compassion that will better our society and its forgotten hurt lost angry confused and anxious souls
Working for a better justice economic health and prison system, social responsibility and accountability to each other thru music poetry spoken word performance art and my story, because in order to create true change, we can’t tackle one issue at a time, we have to tackle a lifestyle and embrace the uncomfortable moments it takes in creating it
this WayOfLife-style is love life liberty and enjoyment, and we live that by being bold in our sobering truths
in order for many groups and colors in America to arrive at the awareness and privilege that exists now, which still needs more evolution, they had to embrace being uncomfortable and believe themselves equally worthy of love and liberty
So my moniker is WayOfLife, my way is of love because love is the highest truth, Instead of being comfortable with only parts of someones truth, let’s be bold enough to love them because their full truth, even the things you may not agree with because it’s what makes them them, and you you, there is a harmony to that, a balance and equality struck of allowance
we will be better served if we get out of this force mindset, and start becoming more allowing of peoples peace space and process, only influencing by enlightenment, not entitlement nor enforcement of ideals and methods
So I will be the actionist, because it’s about ACTION, and I will speak and act for the human soul heart body mind and spirit, highlighting the human condition and its cultures, regardless of color although I will make concerted efforts to make aware the plights of my culture and even the culture of others and my experiences walking in the shoes of many different identities from apologist to conformist to alien to lost to light
let’s not keep waiting for moments of tragedy to remind and ignite us to Action
Mercy
redemption
To Reach for Redemption
we must first Recognize your Reality
Release Resistance
Respond with Resilience
Realize your Reapings
Revel in your Revelations
and Rumble Young Rebel, Rumble!
because Redemption, is an act of defiance
cut thin
I cut myself
and watched my flesh-
this temporary shell to which my spirit hides within-
break apart
to the intrusion of this life’s pain
and as the blood succumbs to the pressure of gravity
a pressure I know all to well,
it cascades down-
painting all in its path
I smeared it
as if molding clay pottery
my trail of tragedy,
cloaking the skin that once was its captivity
although free for now
before it too,
like all things surface,
is soon washed away and long forgotten
disappearing to distant memories
for it was only a temporary experience
a quick and baneful existence
because no pain lasts forever…
or so they say
and the scar-
a reminder of my suffering surface-
marks the vulnerability of shallowness
so why live there?
when what lies beneath heals what lives in plain sight
I wish my spirit free
better to be deep
when it’s the surface that always breaks first
but I guess its a matter of perception
because self inflicted cuts,
hurt less than the ones life has given me
or maybe its the control I have
versus the consistent lack of
I even feel myself more
than the obedient punishment I take otherwise
I just want what’s inside to be free
so everyone can see who I truly am
and each cut,
is but an attempt at peeling back one layer at a time
maybe you’ll see me then
maybe you won’t
just as,
I can’t control what you see in me because of life’s inflicted cuts,
I can’t control what you see in me because of my self inflicted ones either
I’m stuck
because even when I have control
I’m still powerless
that power word
power…
what is too much power
when challenging establishments and norms
when uprooting inequalities and integrating balance
what or when is it too much power
what is the balance too which when one side feels to impeded and imposed upon
what is the shade to with which feels too dark for those closer to the light, and too light for those used to the grasps of darkness
I ask you
what is too much
and what is not enough
is there or will there ever be a zero balance
a place of equilibrium where we all can coexist on equal footing
a line of humanity that doesn’t bend or break to animality
what is too much power
when you have a voice and a mind of your own,
objective enough to know how to recognize a problem and find equatable solutions without bias, all the while subjective enough to conjure its own emotional vulnerability that connects to the emotions of others orchestrating the notes of change
and at what cost for power
what is the consequence of position
is there a fair sacrifice for the power inherited that may make others more uncomfortable in order to make more of the “others” comfortable
well give me that position!
I want power!
that power that can be the bold unwavering compassionate loving and courageous face of change
I’m willing to lay my life down for it, creating generations of prosperity harmony and liberation, all through love
I don’t want to be that person that’s nods their heads and cringes internally, being too uncomfortable to challenge errors biases and oppression because I fear loss
for what is loss to an eternal spirit and soul
this body and its worldly possessions are all temporary
and the things that may bring me to have fear are also all temporary
but that which I love can be forever just as I and we all are at our core
so why lose sight of our eternal natures for our temporary motivations and pleasures
give me power and I will empower
give me power and I will enlighten
give me power and I will ensure energy
the energy that fights and doesnt settle, nor succumbs for possessions or at positions of squander and its rations of prosperity and loss
give me power and I will embolden the silenced
give me power and I will enchant the hopeless
give me power and I wll enable a culture of empathy
and we will move forward to a more peaceful and prosperous paradigm of oneness
give me power because the only thing I fear is accepting the role of being powerless and living helplessly within the same status quo
power won’t change my mind,
my mind has already been changed and evolved from the belief of having a lack of power,
to the finding and now knowing and understanding of the fact that I always had it and didn’t need anyone to grant me it
give me the power because it will change their minds…it will change your mind
and if you can take that change or not will be the decider of how much power, is too much power
but my answer is that, if that power is rooted in love, than only fear would ever seek to limit power, because the power of love and not the love of power, will never be too much power
I am powerful
mental pictures
if my mind was a camera
and my eyelids its shutters
then my retinas it’s lens
every time I’d close my eyes
I’d picture a new world
again
and again
a world free in choice
peace
and in mind
then I would have peace of mind
but if that camera was controlled
I’d only see what I was made to see
therefore,
I would never see myself
I’d never see nothing else for that matter
because the eyes are but messengers for the mind
the mind, is what sees
and if I don’t have a mind of my own
then I’ll always see a prison,
or from within one
no matter where I go
the mind is a powerful camera
enabling you to see and capture any image you choose
as long as no one takes control of your camera
your life will be ‘yours’
and so everyday I awake to a freedom,
not perceived by most,
but I see it vivid as day
and it’s always been
just one blink away
*click!
but i see it all
they say racism is dead
white privilege is a joke
get a job is the punch line
prejudice is the excuse
and stereotyping is a way of life…
everybody does it
but I see it all
real as day
here in prison
where what they say-
we live
there’s no joke
no punchline
and everybody does it
because
there’s no other choice