VNV Tuesday – Poetic Justice 11/7/17

November 7, 2017 DoReMI It Takes a Village 10

An excerpt from the poem The Welder by Cherrie Moraga; the complete poem can be found here: The Welder

…I am now
coming up for air
Yes, I am
picking up the torch.

I am the welder.
I understand the capacity of heat
to change the shape of things.
I am suited to work
within the realm of sparks
out of control.

I am the welder.
I am taking the power
into my own hands.

Justice by Langston Hughes, written in response to the Scottsboro Boys case and as part of a book written to raise funds for their defense.

That Justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise:
Her bandage hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes.

An excerpt from A Journey by Nikki Giovanni; the full poem can be found here: A Journey

It’s a journey . . . that I propose . . . I am not the guide . . . nor technical assistant . . . I will be your fellow passenger . . .

Though the rail has been ridden . . . winter clouds cover . . . autumn’s exuberant quilt . . . we must provide our own guide-posts . . .

An excerpt from the essay An Open Letter to Mary Daly by Audre Lorde as found in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color

To dismiss our black foremothers may well be to dismiss where european women learned to love. As an African-American woman in white patriarchy, I am used to having my archetypal experience distorted and trivialized but it is terribly painful to feel it being done by a woman whose knowledge so much matches my own. As women-identified women, we cannot affort to repeat these same old destructive, wasteful errors of recognition.

When I speak of knowledge, as you know, I am speaking of that dark and true depth which understanding serves, waits upon, and makes accessible through language to ourselves and others. It is this depth within each of us that nurtures vision.

About DoReMI 165 Articles
Now a Michigander, by way of Ohio, Illinois, Scotland, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. Gardener. Sewer. Democrat. Resister.

10 Comments

  1. Thank you for this, DoReMI. It’s good to hear the voices of poets and philosophers in these parlous times.

    The Nikki Giovanni quote reminds me of this one from Kierkegaarde:

    It is very dangerous to go into Eternity
    With possibilities which one has oneself prevented from becoming realities.

    A possibility is a hint from God: it must be followed.
    In every man there is latent the highest possibility: it must be followed.
    If God does not wish it, then let HIM prevent it, but one must not hinder oneself.

    Trusting to God, I have dared but I was not successful. In that is to be found
    Peace, calm, confidence in God.

    I have not dared: that is a woeful thought
    A torment in Eternity.

    This quotation, beautifully lettered by my late father more than 60 years ago, hangs on the wall of our family room.

    Feeling in particular need of these quotes this morning.

    • Diana, that’s a beautiful quote. “I have not dared: that is a woeful thought…” Wise words and a pertinent, timely reminder. Thank you.

  2. Good morning, Pond Dwellers, and thank you for your double duty post DoReMi. I love the theme of your diary today…you channeled your anger well. I admit I’m hoping bfitz checks in so I can give her a hug here. When RTO and Batch were banned, it was nice to touch bases with them here. RTO didn’t stay long (youngster that he is, he’s more into Twitter) but Batch stayed (crusty old timer like me).

    39 degrees this morning with a high of 66. I’ll be back but first…coffee.

  3. {{{DoReMI}}} – Thank you for carrying the torch. there are many things I started to do and then pulled back because I was afraid. The community building is something I didn’t pull back from. I tried. I’ve had some success. That I have been stopped is very hurtful – but I did try.

    lots and lots of {{{HUGS}}} to you and all the Village folks. Thank you. moar {{{HUGS}}}

  4. Afternoon meese..Thank you Sher….I know I haven’t been the best pond dweller lately and apologize for that…Gonna try to do better…

    Nice positive poems and quotes…Something to think about though it’s hard to stay positive after the debacle at l’orange and the abhorrent treatment of such a sweet and loving person as fitz. At the present I just want to beat some of the bros until I can’t any longer lift my hands.

    • Oh, I do know that feeling, Batch which is why I searched for the poetry. I figured that if there are people who can create beauty despite knowing injustice far more intimately than I ever will, I could try to learn. But I did make some bread from scratch this morning, rather than just throwing the ingredients into the bread baker. Punching that dough down felt real good!

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