Poem
Right Here, Right Now
by Basia Diagne
Algae Bloom in the Baltic Sea spanning approximately 15 miles across the size of Manhattan.
While it’s very easy to dwell on what 2020 and of the dreams and goals we attached ourselves to in the hopes of manifesting them, it is important to remember that we are not falling behind, we are not taking a step back- instead, this is an opportunity to detach ourselves from attachments to external material realities and the expectations we had, the goals we had that might not materialize the way we wanted the to or on the same timeline, and instead focus our positive energies on rebuilding the foundation of life from within with gratitude, acceptance and peace.
This poem is about this time, right here, right now, and the collective experience we are all going through. It’s about leaning into it and reconnecting. Serenity, trust, peace, gratitude, stability- these are my visions of the future, a manifestation & mantra that begins from within me and reverberates externally into the world through my creation, my expression, and my intentions. during the confinement i have had a lot of time- I suppose everyone has, to really sit back, observe and create energy in all forms. I’ve used this time to really reconnect with my yoga practice, my spirituality & my sense of just being present.
Black Imaginary To Counter Hegemony (2017) by Harmonia Solaris
Image of Yeye Yemoja found on Tumblr, original source unknown
Yeats spoke of the gyres, turning and turning till the center no longer holds
a whirlpool spinning, spinning and spinning.
Tsunami or holy water? It isn’t clear enough to tell
You know the feeling when you watch the sun reflected on moving water?
yes, that one
Tiny visions of a fragmented future, or perhaps a distant past,
dreams diluted by the magnetic pull of reality’s undercurrent;
It is mesmerizing
And just like Aphrodite birthed from sea foam, mami wata materializes from the calm in the storm,
Some call her yemaya, divine feminine energy, protectress
The story goes that when her waters broke, the great floods made way for new rivers and streams, Bearing the first mortal humans from her womb, the spirit of water their lifeline to her.
I ask her for guidance
Searching for ebb and flow from within the wave we find ourselves all in
time, once a previous resource, is now abundant separated from the continuity of space with no traction and no foundation to grasp onto.
Where do I go from here, how will I go from here?
I place a silver coin in the cup, an offering
& the remaining vision of her begins to spiral back into the whirlpool
turning and turning in my cup till it runneth over
no longer half empty nor half full
& then I understand.