“Social movement doesn’t come all at once, just as it doesn’t come out of nowhere. There are moments when it captures the news, like the National Guard in Little Rock, and then we don’t hear anything about it nationally for a year, two years, three years, four years, five years – and then wham!” pg.… Continue reading Poem 51 – Movement
Poem 50 – Markers
Markers “…we know where the markers arefor where we buried the children…”From Day 46, 100 Days by Juliane Okot Bitek grief knows how to growreflects the truth slowly – howchild souls resurrect Today I went to Gertrude's Writing Room and there was no internet. Can you imagine? It immediately became a sacred space...even more, if… Continue reading Poem 50 – Markers
Poem 49 – The Poet for Phillis Wheatley Peters
The PoetFor Phillis Wheatley Peters age sevenseized in Senegalsentenced to slaveryone tender body ina shipment of shame under a robe of dirty rugslender child nearly nakedsuffering the vived changein climate and freedom –shivers the ship captain in hasteher frailty no reason tostutter sells her tothe Bostonian Wheatly whites before dusting but after dishes –reading and… Continue reading Poem 49 – The Poet for Phillis Wheatley Peters
VANESSA SHIELDS 