8) I kept watering seasons that had already died Botany is not my strong suit. I’ve called some plants dead and seen them turn Lazarus. I’ve seen other things in the garden prove to be venomous and carriers of death. Growth isn’t always good; sometimes it’s a tumor. I thought I was making progress, becoming the bigger person, using bygones as compost, cultivating forgiveness for use as fertilizer. But it all proved to be shit. Unbeknownst to me, I was watering a parasite, an invasive species. I thought: If I blow kindness on a lion—it will make things dandy. Not knowing, serpents can camouflage themselves among the dandelions. Not knowing, some creatures feed on the dying wishes of children with cancer; there is no line of decency they wouldn’t cross to get to the other side of the road. I know a demon who pardons turkeys publicly, but executes them in secrecy. I don’t know what any of this has to do with botany. I only know that there are supernatural serpents— they don’t feed on rats, they shapeshift into one. Knowledge of animals is not my strong suit. I’d rather try to stay focused on botany. There are plants that despise sunshine. There are creations that thrive in darkness. Not everything or everyone in the ecosystem means its fellow inhabitants well. For some to have power, they must weaken others. Destruction is never a two-way street. I should’ve listened to Quincy Jones. He put together an all-star lineup featuring Barry White, just to let me know there are secrets in the garden. In the beginning, I believed plants sung in a secret key of life. I didn’t know weeds would come to steal, kill and destroy. And there I was providing hydration, nutrients, energy, to what I mistakenly believed to be a cannabis fig leaf. Something to cover the nakedness of anger. Blame it on Michelle Obama. That go high when they go low was some bullshit. From here on out, it’s Cardi B. Back to hell. Back to the pit from whence they came. I’m done giving ice water to plants that burn the hand

There’s something about the month of March… “Experiences are to teach and to prepare us for the next level.” 💯

Thank you

My Offering: Imagination gives me joy. I take pride in what I can do with my imaginings. Reality is absolute, but my imagination can bend the laws of physics. I can blossom into different worlds, timelines & individuals. My imagination can make me lion king of a pride. I can be a mother. I can be a survivor of domestic violence. I can be a queer child thrown into a garbage can by his father and disowned by his mother. I can be in a Pride Parade or Civil Rights March. I can be a soldier in boot camp. I can be a chant: Where dem fans at? I can be anger, frustration, confusion, resignation, throw both my hands up… I can be a rapper getting robbed for his chain. I can be a chain of events: a miscarriage of justice, a backed up septic tank, a divorce, a coming out, an overbite, a near death experience… I can be almost anything— except dead. My imagination refuses to be limited or boxed in—it will override a prompt in the name of creativity—because thoughts trapped in a box will die. My imagination is a source of life and in it I am well pleased.

Thank you for the honorable mention. It’s been a blessing to be in community with you all. But I recently suffered the devastating loss of loved one and need to step away so I can heal in solitude. Take care.

Mi Dun Fi tru Yoo take mi fi dum dum Mi dun dun Bun fiyah! Whut da raas claat Mi caant take it Dis fuckery Ahh give me nuff stress Mi dun Yuh hear whut mi say I & I, Rastafari, Jah Chant down Babylon Bun fiyah! Bun bun bun Mi dun dun dun