birth conception skeletons are free game and mothering even the ones not buried
and mothering even the ones not buried
and mothering even the ones not buried by you ashes black branded into your
by you ashes black branded into your
by you ashes black branded into your blood without consent then gone quietly
blood without consent then gone quietly
blood without consent then gone quietly into the night whether you push the
into the night whether you push the
into the night whether you push the black child into the universe or pulled
black child into the universe or pulled
black child into the universe or pulled one close our mothering remains an
one close our mothering remains an
one close our mothering remains an inkless experience kitchen tables are by
inkless experience kitchen tables are by
inkless experience kitchen tables are by far my greatest teachers and healers
far my greatest teachers and healers
far my greatest teachers and healers when trying to discover and remember
when trying to discover and remember
when trying to discover and remember remember and discover who I was I’m
remember and discover who I was I’m
remember and discover who I was I’m Mama’s voice let me know I was real in
Mama’s voice let me know I was real in
Mama’s voice let me know I was real in the world every day has a new son she
the world every day has a new son she
the world every day has a new son she says reminding me
says reminding me
says reminding me God kissed our skin so we’re not meant
God kissed our skin so we’re not meant
God kissed our skin so we’re not meant to be invisible from there we give what
to be invisible from there we give what
to be invisible from there we give what we have what we know to our children
we have what we know to our children
we have what we know to our children sometimes America is not free or brave
sometimes America is not free or brave
sometimes America is not free or brave sometimes is blood-soaked soiled buried
sometimes is blood-soaked soiled buried
sometimes is blood-soaked soiled buried bones with no headstones and we must
bones with no headstones and we must
bones with no headstones and we must teach our children to live the life they
teach our children to live the life they
teach our children to live the life they believe is possible not the one they’ve
believe is possible not the one they’ve
believe is possible not the one they’ve been boxed into praise for abusive
been boxed into praise for abusive
been boxed into praise for abusive behavior when putting children back
behavior when putting children back
behavior when putting children back between the lines of white America
between the lines of white America
between the lines of white America neglectful when our children fail so
neglectful when our children fail so
neglectful when our children fail so mothering for a black woman is a
mothering for a black woman is a
mothering for a black woman is a constant cycle of God and godless blood
constant cycle of God and godless blood
constant cycle of God and godless blood and water heaven and hell it’s a prayer
and water heaven and hell it’s a prayer
and water heaven and hell it’s a prayer ritual sometimes filled with silence
ritual sometimes filled with silence
ritual sometimes filled with silence because our hearts are heavy and our
because our hearts are heavy and our
because our hearts are heavy and our souls are empty some of us make it to
souls are empty some of us make it to
souls are empty some of us make it to the other side some of us sacrifice some
the other side some of us sacrifice some
the other side some of us sacrifice some of us give up but we are all brave to
of us give up but we are all brave to
of us give up but we are all brave to birth a black child into this world we
birth a black child into this world we
birth a black child into this world we are all brave to allow our bodies to
are all brave to allow our bodies to
are all brave to allow our bodies to breathe as best we know how and feel as
breathe as best we know how and feel as
breathe as best we know how and feel as full as we can we just trying to find a
full as we can we just trying to find a
full as we can we just trying to find a promised land the heart of this
promised land the heart of this
promised land the heart of this country’s bright makes for a textured
country’s bright makes for a textured
country’s bright makes for a textured entry point and curating black
entry point and curating black
entry point and curating black motherhood a rich layered legacy yet to
motherhood a rich layered legacy yet to
motherhood a rich layered legacy yet to be fully exposed so I wrestle with
be fully exposed so I wrestle with
be fully exposed so I wrestle with revealing myself even to myself when
revealing myself even to myself when
revealing myself even to myself when you’re greeted by law and persecution in
you’re greeted by law and persecution in
you’re greeted by law and persecution in the midst of pain
the midst of pain
the midst of pain becomes a badge of honor bring me the
becomes a badge of honor bring me the
becomes a badge of honor bring me the bread and the roses becomes your battle
bread and the roses becomes your battle
bread and the roses becomes your battle cry every piece of my being is peppered
cry every piece of my being is peppered
cry every piece of my being is peppered with a dark complex soul wrenching yet
with a dark complex soul wrenching yet
with a dark complex soul wrenching yet somehow breathtakingly beautiful love
somehow breathtakingly beautiful love
somehow breathtakingly beautiful love affair with the south for better or
affair with the south for better or
affair with the south for better or worse it is my home my anchor although I
worse it is my home my anchor although I
worse it is my home my anchor although I have drifted the lighthouse of my heart
have drifted the lighthouse of my heart
have drifted the lighthouse of my heart always guides me back I honor the
always guides me back I honor the
always guides me back I honor the bloodshed here the blood that reached
bloodshed here the blood that reached
bloodshed here the blood that reached the highest office of this land yet
the highest office of this land yet
the highest office of this land yet flows to the depths of the Atlantic
flows to the depths of the Atlantic
flows to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean the blood that gives me strength
Ocean the blood that gives me strength
Ocean the blood that gives me strength from day to day will never lose its
from day to day will never lose its
from day to day will never lose its power so I stand on solid ground bearing
power so I stand on solid ground bearing
power so I stand on solid ground bearing witness to movement yet I stand on solid
witness to movement yet I stand on solid
witness to movement yet I stand on solid ground feeling like sinking sand in the
ground feeling like sinking sand in the
ground feeling like sinking sand in the darkest days of my motherhood knowing
darkest days of my motherhood knowing
darkest days of my motherhood knowing black mothers birth more than children
black mothers birth more than children
black mothers birth more than children knowing you must build a village to
knowing you must build a village to
knowing you must build a village to within your womb when all you really
within your womb when all you really
within your womb when all you really want to do is bring forth life our
want to do is bring forth life our
want to do is bring forth life our mothering is the promise of prophecy
mothering is the promise of prophecy
mothering is the promise of prophecy telling us there is more than purpose in
telling us there is more than purpose in
telling us there is more than purpose in your pain there is electricity if we
your pain there is electricity if we
your pain there is electricity if we choose to love if we choose to be brave
choose to love if we choose to be brave
choose to love if we choose to be brave unmask our being shed our shame tell our
unmask our being shed our shame tell our
unmask our being shed our shame tell our stories proving we are more than stretch
stories proving we are more than stretch
stories proving we are more than stretch marks we are more than magic because
marks we are more than magic because
marks we are more than magic because there’s no trick to what we do there’s
there’s no trick to what we do there’s
there’s no trick to what we do there’s no illusion no sleight of hand when it
no illusion no sleight of hand when it
no illusion no sleight of hand when it comes to raising black babies is
comes to raising black babies is
comes to raising black babies is shedding tears with a woman whose voice
shedding tears with a woman whose voice
shedding tears with a woman whose voice you’ve never heard but you know her
you’ve never heard but you know her
you’ve never heard but you know her cries praying for women you’ve never
cries praying for women you’ve never
cries praying for women you’ve never touched wanting what all mothers want to
touched wanting what all mothers want to
touched wanting what all mothers want to know we are not alone when the myth of
know we are not alone when the myth of
know we are not alone when the myth of motherhood crumbles at our feet
motherhood crumbles at our feet
motherhood crumbles at our feet children forging the paths in the world
children forging the paths in the world
children forging the paths in the world on their own terms when the fear of one
on their own terms when the fear of one
on their own terms when the fear of one day being drafted into the mounting army
day being drafted into the mounting army
day being drafted into the mounting army of mourning mothers burying yet another
of mourning mothers burying yet another
of mourning mothers burying yet another black child overwhelms us we want what
black child overwhelms us we want what
black child overwhelms us we want what all mothers want
all mothers want
all mothers want – no there is space for us unleash all
– no there is space for us unleash all
– no there is space for us unleash all that binds us we the alter were all lay
that binds us we the alter were all lay
that binds us we the alter were all lay down their burdens absorbing whatever
down their burdens absorbing whatever
down their burdens absorbing whatever they are hungry for we pour into them
they are hungry for we pour into them
they are hungry for we pour into them and make them more loving without limit
and make them more loving without limit
and make them more loving without limit waking every day by babbling babies
waking every day by babbling babies
waking every day by babbling babies to-do-list
to-do-list
to-do-list ancients adolescents instead of alarm
ancients adolescents instead of alarm
ancients adolescents instead of alarm clock still kiss the sunrise balanced on
clock still kiss the sunrise balanced on
clock still kiss the sunrise balanced on beams like it’s our birthright praying
beams like it’s our birthright praying
beams like it’s our birthright praying down walls building dreams with broken
down walls building dreams with broken
down walls building dreams with broken bricks held together by faith every day
bricks held together by faith every day
bricks held together by faith every day every day we wake with the weight of the
every day we wake with the weight of the
every day we wake with the weight of the world on our backbone and just when we
world on our backbone and just when we
world on our backbone and just when we feel every inch of our marrow running
feel every inch of our marrow running
feel every inch of our marrow running dry some sweet sister whispers in our
dry some sweet sister whispers in our
dry some sweet sister whispers in our ear there’s a village my love
ear there’s a village my love
ear there’s a village my love there are women among us with beautiful
there are women among us with beautiful
there are women among us with beautiful wings disguise as arms that stretch
wings disguise as arms that stretch
wings disguise as arms that stretch through time wrap us up so that we can
through time wrap us up so that we can
through time wrap us up so that we can stand face whatever mountain in our way
stand face whatever mountain in our way
stand face whatever mountain in our way face the day cloaked in truth when it
face the day cloaked in truth when it
face the day cloaked in truth when it would have been easier to lay down in
would have been easier to lay down in
would have been easier to lay down in lies remind us we are worthy of love we
lies remind us we are worthy of love we
lies remind us we are worthy of love we are worthy of forgiveness Redemption we
are worthy of forgiveness Redemption we
are worthy of forgiveness Redemption we are creators we are more than fly we
are creators we are more than fly we
are creators we are more than fly we light up the sky illuminate the world we
light up the sky illuminate the world we
light up the sky illuminate the world we are electric remind us we know what love
are electric remind us we know what love
are electric remind us we know what love looks like so let not the remains of our
looks like so let not the remains of our
looks like so let not the remains of our mothering be marked but those who hunted
mothering be marked but those who hunted
mothering be marked but those who hunted our children who made us too familiar
our children who made us too familiar
our children who made us too familiar with the stitch of burning flesh so I
with the stitch of burning flesh so I
with the stitch of burning flesh so I will stay here build on this
will stay here build on this
will stay here build on this blood-soaked soil
blood-soaked soil
blood-soaked soil tell the stories of women who went toe
tell the stories of women who went toe
tell the stories of women who went toe to toe with
to toe with
to toe with Beth who bore fruit in a land thirsty
Beth who bore fruit in a land thirsty
Beth who bore fruit in a land thirsty for black blood since its inception
for black blood since its inception
for black blood since its inception I will tell secrets once swallowed by
I will tell secrets once swallowed by
I will tell secrets once swallowed by the soil but forever etched in memory
the soil but forever etched in memory
the soil but forever etched in memory now unleashed I will bear witness
now unleashed I will bear witness
now unleashed I will bear witness today’s past and they will look at me in
today’s past and they will look at me in
today’s past and they will look at me in awe as if I am a preacher
awe as if I am a preacher
awe as if I am a preacher spitting tales of ancient times they
spitting tales of ancient times they
spitting tales of ancient times they will say mama we won and I will say yes
will say mama we won and I will say yes
will say mama we won and I will say yes baby yes loved one
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
”
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