Category Archives: Poetry

It’s So Easy to Love Her, Selah!

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Since the first time I heard her voice, I have been in love with the sound of her. I don’t care how she looks, or how she wears her hair. I don’t care how crazy they say she is, or how many kids, I just love to hear her speak. I see myself reflected in her eyes, and I get weak. Her art is ministry. Her words are from the most high, she is god. And sometimes, I kneal, for, I am thankful for the gift of her experiences, revealed, through her poetic verses, Lauryn Hill… I hear you, as your soul transitions into happiness, keep blessing the best of us. I hear my ancestors speak through you, triumphant woman of the moon, peace to you.

It’s national poetry month ya’ll… Selah… and then he came…

Nothing can be done against the truth
No matter how we remain in denial, yeah
Wasting time, replacing time
With each empty excuse
But that’ll only work a little while…

Coping with despair
Knowing you’re not there
Ashamed to just admit I’ve been a fool
So I blame it on the sun
Run away from everyone
Hoping to escape this ridicule

Trapped in misery
Wrapped so miserably in this deception I wear it like a skin
Dying to maintain, oh I keep trying to explain
A heart that never loved me to begin

Oh I’m such a mess, I have no choice but to confess
That I’ve been desperately trying to belong
Lying to myself and everybody else
Refusing to admit my right was wrong

And then he came, selah
Oh and it means praise and meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means, did ya think about that
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means, praise and meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means that it is sieved

How beautiful his fruits, still in denial of its roots
My guilty heart behaved so foolishly
This treason from within that reasons with my sin
Won’t be happy til it sees the death of me

Selfishly addicted to a life that I’ve depicted
Conflicted cause it’s not reality
Oh what’s left of me, I beg you desperately,
Cause me to agree but what I know is best for me

Please save me from myself
I need you, save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal

The choices that I make, oh have been nothing but mistakes
What a wasted use of space
Should I die before I wake?
In all of my religion, I’ve fortified this prison
Obligated to obey the demands of bad decision

Please save me from myself
I need you to save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal

And then he came, selah
Oh and it means praise and meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means did ya think about that
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means that it is sealed

And then he came
And then he came, then he came, then he came
And then he
And then he came

PRAISE & MEDITATION

-Shila

P.S. Nothing can be done against the truth.

Out of the Rain, I Come for You

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My mind is overwhelmed with the reality that I’ve been captured
melancholy rigor mortis becomes me
my spirit is heavier than my mind, my body
my legs shake, denying me mobility
i lay here, but i am not present
i want to stay
but I don’t know how to exist
in this space
I’m fighting
my mind is rotating 345, 360, 315
i daydrift into a dream
i am an earth goddess, spinning
needing to be with you
but needing my solitude

healing, with gel and latex
rubbing herbs into my soul
i contemplate
i look at my face through the fog
“you can do this” i say
affirmations is the way
i can say i love you and mean it
i can walk away,
but that doesn’t mean i’m leaving
just
feed me
food and water,
relieve me
I’ll give you the world
cause I have it,
just let me be free to choose

so I’ll close my eyes

and allow the fear to die,
so I can wake up

and be with you.

Rain

I am an Aquarius. we are slow to respond sometimes, because we’re thinking. let us.

more and more, I see, that excuses and blame are tools of the incompetent.
Say what you feel, before what you want gets away.

Love, Shila

Saul Williams for National Poetry Month @MOCA

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Use poetry to tap into your ROOTs.
Let the true spirit of your ancestors, shine through.

Our people were scattered into the desert, across the sea, over and away from their homeland; and they have forgotten how to recognize themselves.  We will wake up.  -shila

“I’m planting seeds wherever I go.”
Performing collectively…

I am an artist with a mission. That mission is to always be about uplifting people of African descent, and to be instrumental in the restoration of our true identity. This is why artists like Saul Williams inspire me:

“I am the streets
The white lines only separate me from me
You hydroplane in false god’s name and still crash into me
Sign and tree; mountainside; guard rail; into the sea
They thought they stole you from my arms then carried you to me
Here’s the key: DNA encoded in a beat
White rocks in a vial, nigga, ain’t got nothin’ on me
Bitch I’m free, ask these editors at MTV
Far as they know, they’re publishing some new school poetry
Let it be
Cause even that will do to turn the key
Doorways into other worlds, the truth shall set you free
You are me, I am you, but also I’m he
Shepherd of a bastard flock that grazes in the streets… ”

– from DNA by S.W.

Every day, I am a poet. I have been writing since I was 7.
Sometimes my words rhyme, but most often I use free verse.
From free verse, came the rise of spoken word poetry.
Many artists have chosen this form as their primary means of communicating.
Try it. It can be quite liberating.

SAUL BOOKS:

If you are in Northeast Ohio, tomorrow, April 15, Saul Williams will be reading at MOCA and then performing at the Grog Shop. If you attend the MOCA event for $12, you can get into the Grog for $10.  Of course advance purchases are better, because you save a few dollars. Check him out. I’ve seen him at least 4 times, in different cities, and I really dig him because each performance is different. He is fully committed and true to his art form and that is admirable.

SAUL CDs and MOVIES

Peace and love.  I am OSiRis RiSinG

Homo Sapien Gods – My Life Began Inside of an Aries

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR MOTHER!!!  This poem is dedicated to my parents, who are both Aries, who I watched love each other for many years, with little interference, but their seasons had to end, because sometimes, we make the wrong decisions. but the right choices. their souls mated. mated long enough to create 6 lives. from 1980 until 1987. a tribe. my parents were best of friends, facing their reflections in the eyes of the other, i’m like my mother, my dad, my brother, my sisters and I are one. it’s hard to allow each other to be human sometimes, right? “you’re really out of my control, but I’m not trying to rope you.” be free. i love the energy that created me. thank you for birthing iris, i’m with you til the end! peace and blessings, i send. 

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Dopamine racing
the feeling is surreal
love is fleeting,
but his intentions are real
i am not his default
he didn’t steal me
he didn’t keep me on the side
he came to me, free as love can be
the wind blew around us,
creating a vortex
he rolled me up in a blunt and smoked my cerebral cortex
he speaks
i stop.
i listen
cerebellum bale- lance
there is nothing like me,
to him
he is high in between my sighs
he, lays there
looking into my eyes
he came inside, what a pleasant surprise
breathing.
that’s what we do together
he carried my baggage to the trash
canned it, but didn’t chastise me nor reprimand it
I am not falling for him,
i rise, I rise, i rise, I rise!!!
i can see myself in the skies!
i am loving this
homo sapien god
             My LIFE began inside of an Aries.
my lover, my friend
breathing.
he gave me a heart beat
teething, over his shoulder
biting,
screaming
as he takes over,
i am in your arms
burning in your fire,
higher, higher!
lifting the smoke screen
you see me,
resonating in my mind
my King
i am so in love with you

My siblings and I were all born under the conditions illustrated in this poem. ♥

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Sitting here thinkin’ bout ya’ll

Recently, I have met some of the dopest and illest human beings alive. When I say dope and ill, I mean intelligent, wisdom-filled homo sapien gods!

It all started last year, when I attended the Afro Punk Festival in Brooklyn, New York. The people, these “like-bodies” were so attractive, out-going, and confident. It was an amazing flow of energy in the air. It felt like we were walking between pyramids in Egypt. Such beauty reminded me that I was god. I began TRANSFORMING…

I felt elevated. And when I came down from this high, I went to you…

LET ME LOVE YOU. IT’S NOT COMPLICATED. My intentions are to plant seeds inside of you and to keep an open heart, and an open mind with You and YOU, and yoU, and YoU too. I got mad love for the Free people of the world! And I ain’t talking bout people with money and control, I’m talking about those real One’s, who live outside of the Matrix; who are bold lovers of themselves, and they love you too. GODS. They make you feel so good; not by stroking your ego in your weak moments, and not by pretending to choose you when it’s really default; but by telling you the truth, I’M MARRIED 2U. I’m married to me. I give you what you need, if you worthy. Brothas, sistahs! WE ARE meant 2B doing this together. Bring your LIKE-Minds into my atmosphere. Ya’ll inspire me to be god. Ya’ll remind me of my ancestral grace, in a world that tells me to hide it. I’m not hiding. I’m not lying. Reciprocity. I’m not afraid of you. I’ll look you in your eyes and say, “I’m god!”wpid-2015-04-06_15.57.44.jpg

But so are you. My darling Aries kindred sprits – Happy birthday

March 28 – Kyla, my oldest niece, and my youngest soul mate, i love your smile
March 28 – Zoië, my youngest niece, this wild one bites, I need this crazy baby
April 2 – My daddy, i love your poetic hustlin’
April 8 – Andre, my coolest cousin
April 8 – Imhotep Frank TheeTalented 10th, my sounding board, 13 years passed fast!
April 10 – My mother, mom, hmmmm. i am u.
April 10 – My Brandi Gregg! I love your Barbie doll collection and your warm hugs!
April 14 – Mr. Bobby Williams, who i can say anything under the Sun to, turns out, i need u

I am so glad to be able to connect with the Aries, rising with the Sun and resting with the Moon. Let the peace and blessings manifest within you, together, we are One.P.S. I do not want you to go, but I don’t know how to stop you. Live in my music. wpid-2015-04-06_13.31.07.jpg
i am OSIRIS and I’m RiSinG!!
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The Last Day in February: The Tears that Formed Lake Victoria

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… my heart stopped
for a minute it skipped beats
I held on to the side of the well
head lowered, looking down into darkness
tears flowed freely
I had given so much
my space
my support
my time
he asked for more
he asked for things that he, himself could not give
he required much,
but gave so little
how could I allow this?

unfriendly palpitations
took the breath of me
unkind words
took the rest
leaving me speechless
our conversations dwindled
confusion
control
confinement
avoidance
I forgot who I was
and so did he |

but

i need to hear you praise me
I am Queen
i need you to reciprocate
I am esteemed
i need you to rise to my occasion
for I am the one who brought you light
i need you to ask me,
be a Pisces
if you think that you must have more
then please, dismiss me
i am worth every drop of blood
I am warrior royalty
so, if you’re not willing to fight
goodbye

retrospective:
i think that you are beautiful,
to someone you belong
you are just not tuned to play my song

the spring is coming
making revolutions around far off sunsets
triggering early sunrise
you will find what you are looking for

she is the haram of your harem
could your sin be pretend?

photo from jackielaryea blog

Photo from the Jackie Laryea blog

 

from The Last Day in February: The Story of Kitara and the Tears that Formed Lake Victoria (unclassified poetry in motion by Shila Iris)

The Nile River Flows Through Me

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He is the River Nile
The soil around him is fer tile
he is steady planting seeds
and watering them with my juices
his trees bear the fruit of me
on the branches I rest majestically
I call out to Pharaoh,
my divine King
when he’s in between
things are Exactly what they seem
His greatness creates streams,
that run through me
becoming rivers
flowing around my canals
and ravines
his Ebony mysteries,
prophetic history
prepares me for storms,
and extremes
When the floods come,
I am safe
surrounded by the aura of his grace
Protected by his Strength
I am goddess queen to this god
he studies the sun, the moon
and the stars
making calculated moves
he lives the truth and
bequeaths it to me
I live in his pyramid
Kushite to Meroë
temple to tomb
downriver to Timbuktu
across the Sahara
honorably,
we stand in our own reflections
wanting less, needing nothing
but the presence of the person in the moment
respect
Long Live the King in Me!

Queen OSiRis
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How Stevie Wonder Helped Create Martin Luther King Day

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STEVIE WONDER AND MLK

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO READ THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON CUEPOINT

Stevie Wonder’s song, Happy Birthday, was one of the forces responsible for rallying support to make Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday a national holiday. This is a very important part of history that is sometimes overlooked. Art has often influenced political change. There were many people who fought alongside Martin, including artists, even after his death. I’d like to remember other social activists of that time, and some who came after. When I think of Martin, I think of many names including: EL HAJJ MALIK EL SHABBAZZ MALCOLM X CORETTA SCOTT KING MARTIN DELANEY LORRAINE V HANSBERRY NAT KING COLE CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY ROY WILKINS W.E.B. DUBOIS FRANTZ FANON JAMES FORMAN ELIJAH MUHAMMAD RICHARD WRIGHT RAY CHARLES JACKIE ROBINSON HARRY BELAFONTE ASA PHILIP RANDOLPH WHITNEY YOUNG JR JAMES B PARSONS OTIS M SMITH JAMES H MEREDITH KENNETH B CLARK FRED SHUTTLESWORTH MEDGAR W EVERS ROBERT C WEAVER LENA HORNE JAMES BALDWIN EDWARD J DWIGHT JR MUHAMMAD ALI BILL COSBY EDWARD KENNEDY DUKE ELLINGTON KWAME TURE STOKELY CARMICHAEL ARETHA FRANKLIN LANGSTON HUGHES JAMIL ABDULLAH AL AMIN H RAP BROWN THURGOOD MARSHALL GIL SCOTT HERON ELLA FITZGERALD ROBERT NESTA BOB MARLEY and finally, MARCUS GARVEY, who came before this time, but inspired every Black freedom fighter of the 20th Century. The story of this 3rd Monday in January, is very deep. So start digging! The answers can empower you. I am sure you have many other names to add to this list. Ase (Yoruba for, “it is so”)!

“If you are going to speak to the people, you gotta be the people.” –Chuck D

On December 12, 1963, two very important books were published:  Why We Can’t Wait, by Dr. King, and The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon, a Martinique-born psychiatrist. Both books made history. King’s book came about from his Letter from Birmingham Jail, written on April 16, 1963, and Fanon’s book was known as “the Bible of the oppressed.” These are books that every activists or American of African descent should read. They are enlightening and uplifting and help to pave the way. They are relevant to this day, this hour, and this moment.

MESSAGE TO THE MESSENGERS

Lastly, across the world, a lot of us attended MLK programs today. I really hope that we all took the time out to listen to the messages and reflect on our history. I’ve noticed that when I attend events, fewer people are concerned about internalizing the messages and taking notes so that we can create plans and blueprints. It seems that it is more about recording videos and taking pictures/selfies and posting them to social media networks, and less about actively participating in the MOMENT. Listening and engaging is becoming a lost art. I truly heart the idea of clandestine behavior as a method to organizing for change; and I support Gil Scott-Heron’s notion that the REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED. We should try engaging on a different level. That means that we can’t give it all away, by attempting to share every move that we make. Mystery is a lost art as well. We must focus on what’s in our faces. We cannot possibly be performing at our best, holding phones, trying to document ourselves at every event. That job is for videographers and photographers. Let us play our part, by actively listening. No one needs to know that you were there, you know, and that is most important. Let’s think deeply, study, and plan:

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
Brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
Brothers on the instant replay

There will be no pictures of Whitney Young
Being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy Wilkins
Strolling through Watts in a red, black and green
Liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion  -Gil Scott-Heron

Peace and love,

OSiRis RiSinG

a beautifully Poetic Sunday

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For a long time, I did not desire him
so I buried myself in things
that would keep me away:

“got a good book and got all in it,
tried a little yoga for a minute, but it won’t let go…”
click here

He fought for his right to see me
and I ignored his attempts,
unsure of the necessity to have him in my life:

“I just can’t decide
If it’s you I want
Don’t want to choose between
Having you in my life or losing you for real
’cause I caught feelings…”
click here

As much as I could remember the beauty of him, something still pushed me into another zone. The thought of him being a reflection of my good, and my bad, made me want to be free. I wanted to face another reality:

“We were too much the same, and I didn’t know, who to blame, cause I didn’t want to change; and you weren’t going to change…”
click here

I was much more into my own feelings, tired of compromising, tired of insecurities, just so tired of second-guessing, and needing approval. I wanted to float. I chose to live amongst the clouds. It was time to face myself and see the good parts of me. Not the parts of me buried in monotony. I needed an atmosphere that would allow me to grow:

“Here I am, on a cloud
If you want me take the chance try love out loud
As I drift, through the sky
Shooting cupid’s loving arrow you just might try
So don’t miss me, take your time
You’ve only got one chance, yes…”
click here

So, after listening to my heart, I put myself out there. My search had begun. My spirit no longer wanted to live behind a smokescreen. I wanted to live visibly, and openly. I stumbled, off the block. This newness, this world that I was beginning to see, wasn’t familiar. So, I was afraid, at first, but one day, as I mingled, I saw a butterfly, and the beauty of it was astounding, so I chased it:

“See a butterfly
Up in the sky
I got a story to say
And I’ll tell you why
I’m searchin’
You see my friend
And I need someone
Who feels and needs
The same as I
I’m searchin’ …”
click here, baby
♥  ___________________________ ♥
I am out here, in this world, alone most of the time, but not lonely. I needed to know what it felt like to just be me. So thank you Universe for revealing me to me. That friend that I needed, was simply Shila. Everything outside of me, is just a gift, but never again will I exchange my happiness for anything. I am powerful in this way.
♥  ___________________________ ♥
Let’s listen to each other more. We could avoid so much, if we weren’t afraid of what the other might say. Damn. Can we just talk? We have to be brave, because at the end of the day, our hurt feelings are just not the bigger picture.

 

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Peace and love,

Shila Iris

P.S.  I want to shout out GOAPELE. She is a wonderful artist. I have enjoyed pretty much all of her recorded music. I want to make sure you hear this song. It is a reflection of me, and I am sure some of you can relate to every single lyric, just as I. It is amazing how someone else’s art can capture my heart so perfectly.

I find myself writing to this tune. Evolution requires that we face whatever made us hit rock bottom. These “rock bottom recoveries” are what make us and break us. So, this little tune cracked me right open! I had always been somewhat of a poet, writing since I was about 7 years old. Journals and journals full of words and thoughts in metaphors and similes! However, for the past few years, I couldn’t write. I couldn’t figure out why. Had I lost my ability to be poetic? I was stuck in this funk, in a place where I couldn’t arrange my thoughts. I was depressed and frustrated for a very long time. Nonetheless, that is over, and I write all the time! I just needed more life experiences. Sometimes we have to leave our comfort zones to really and truly find ourselves. I am searching. Aren’t we all? If you see me, let’s just have a good time. It’s really about being grown and mature and knowing how to express your love. Not just saying it, but living it. I HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE.

Let’s travel, don’t be afraid. Won’t you be free with me? My final destination, the motherland. That is inside of me.

Roy and I

I believe in love at first sight…

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… if you must harness the sunshine
and hold the air in your hands,
fairy tales and miracles are splendid
If you’re planting seeds and
watering them with the right things,
hopeless romanticism is an experience,
that leads, to growth
But you musn’t be surprised when someone on the other side
of the world flicks the light switch
and the season is over.

Energy is a whirlwind waiting for you to walk in,
it may be fate or coincidence, you spin

I believe in love manifesting itself in bodies from our dreams
Now, are you ready to face reality?

Sun

________________ I want to get to know you, and you need to get to know me. That means we can choose to see one another when we can, but don’t feel obligated. Let’s have a free flow mind dance. I believe in liberation. I believe in evolution. If we ever decide to go beyond, let it be because we trust and respect one another and because we arrived, naturally, at a place, where we both want to be. ________________

I am learning so many things about real human emotions. I was taught to put my love in a box, but it’s not how I want to love anyone and it is not how I want anyone to love me. I have discovered that I am not interested in a love filled with forevers and nevers. Anything is possible when you really love someone. I believe in LIONHEART LOVE where we don’t need to pretend or make a show. WE HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE. We are NOT afraid of one another. We know each other well. We accept the flaws and all. 


LOVE IS MUTUAL. I feel like the healthiest loving is reciprocal. The Universe has a tendency to align us with the right people when we are righteous and ready. You will know when you arrive at this type of love because it will feel right. It will be more than infatuation or physical stimulation. You will be able to look into each other’s eyes and know. It is a deep experience- to grow with someone and go through trials with them. Love is earned, not something that should be given so freely. Lot’s of people throw it around, but I say, please don’t misuse it!

Growing a real love could take seasons! But don’t be intimidated by this. Have faith, patience, and fun! A REAL love has to stand the test of time. You won’t know how much you love someone until you have to go through things with them. The people that I love are those who stood by me throughout the years. It took 15 years for me to know that I really loved my best friend! 10 years for me to trust my college sisters. Imagine that. We made all types of mistakes, but we still had each other’s backs. I know that it is pure because we never had to cross anyone for our love to manifest. It has always been a good thing.

I don’t want to rush or anticipate it
It’s much more interesting when we just let it be
We connect our personalities and histories,
call it chemistry
Hasty declarations can ruin a good thing
just open your heart to me…
_____________________________

Don’t declare love out of fear. Would you rather have the security of a lie, someone telling you what you want to hear? Or the truth?

I want a beautiful becoming, an awakening, where I don’t know what’s going to happen.

If you’re scared that you’re losing control then yes, say you love me! Do you want to be in a relationship because you’re afraid of losing me or do you want the real thing? Let life happen. Love yourself.

I care for you. I admire you. I want to be around you. I want you. Those are things that I’ll believe, nothing prematurely. It’s only right that I, we, take the time to season our greens, let nature be. Peace. This woman said it best:

“Just because I tell you I love you, don’t mean that I do.”
-Erykah Badu

Listen to every lyric if you desire my tenderness. 🙂

I am so good at being a QueenAquarius!

P.S. Let’s fly to the Bahamas!

I’m smiling today because my heart is warm with desire.

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Neolithic Heart

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“I want to see you.

Know your voice.

Recognize you when you
first come ’round the corner.

Sense your scent when I come
into a room you’ve just left…”
-Rumi

——————————————

NEOLITHIC HEARTS 

Our spirits speak.

From where you are
to where I am,
I can hear your heart,
beat.
Sometimes over the loudness of my own
I lay down,
defeat.
When I can,
I give in, to the sound of your resounding  love.

Like a gong, like a drum,
the pulse penetrates
underneath
my skin,
closest to kin,
I touch the surfaces of your existence,
decoding the braille,
the bumps,
I exhale,
Life is so mystical.
Breathing, I inhale,
the essence.

Languages, unknown
I hear, in my dreams.
ancient mysteries.
In my mind,
I contrive,
I find,
myself succumbing to
the caress of fingers,
of stories,
of memories.
of things,
so true.
Vivid answers,
vivid truths.   -shilairis

Stonehenge

 

Karmatic Life Explosions

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Karma3Monday morning anxieties,
washed away
visions of forever,
lost.
the comprehension of humanity,
gained.
living contradictions,
fly away.
no judgment of before, or after
new stories, begin

living on the path of the sun
i orbit
my heart beats to
the length and rhythm of day and night

seasons change
shape and speed, rotation leads

the past is gone,
the future, unpredictable,
the moment is now.

the love that I grew for you is 360
energy, recycled,
i don’t know what to do.
but the thought doesn’t make me blue,
my heart goes out to you.

degrees from experience,
and karmatic life explosions
there is no equation,
it’s all in persuasion.
which mountain do you stand on?
outlook and perspective
lost emphasis in translation

did they forget that there is
no Always, no Never
It’s Possibly, Maybe.
promises turn shady

the lava from volcanic eruptions
bring me closer to my Maker,
i am the Creator.
This side of the moon,
life is worth living.
free your mind
and the rest, will follow.      -by shilairis

_________________
kar·ma
ˈkärmə/  > informal
  • destiny or fate, following as effect from cause.
_________________
peace and love,
Queen OSiRis
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I am Eclipsing

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“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”  – RumiEclipse

i am the moon, eclipsing

i was not waiting in darkness for you to bring me light,
my world was already bright
but I am obliged that you have added to my majesties
with simple acts of faith

teacher, no preacher
lover, no hate
brother, no enemy
adventure, no drama
truth, no contradiction

allegiance, no opposition
bravery, no blame
harmony, no aversion
human, as in nature.

that’s what you are.
A mariner.

I am not blinded by your light,

i can see.
i can see my mistakes.
i can see, I am great.

clearly,

you are free.
And you make me,
want to be,

an explorer.

of myself,
of my individual wealth.

thank you for unleashing,
this dreamer inside of me.

i am the moon, eclipsing

spinning on the earths’ axis
my day, my night, is mine.

moth to a flame,
my experience, i claim

rising, OsiRis.
the sun belongs to me,

me, myself, and I,
my holy Trinity.

by shila iris

NatureToday, I am inspired by my dreams of Khem. I feel like I was there. Explore.

Queen OSiRis

5

 

Lavender Fields

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“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”  – Rumi

Naturewe lay in this field of lavender and silently stirred our desires. his kisses taste like the sweet smell. nature aroused us. electric fingers touched the surfaces of my femininity. the confidence of his manhood carved out reasons for me to give in, but it was honesty that made me release. he didn’t promise me anything. he made no attempts to win me over. he made no excuses for his past. he loved even those, who he had lost. his mind was mature, aged like sweet wine. his left brain co-mingled with my right brain. he impregnated me with his wisdom. smothered in purple, i was drunk, in the silence of the lavender field.   -by Shila Iris

“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”  – Rumi

Loving the way I feel. Queen OSiRis, I am RiSinG.

Spinning Baduizm today. “This world is so dramatic.” 

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Day 5 – KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Baduizm

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“Peace and blessings manifest with
every lesson learned
If your knowledge were your wealth then
it would be well earned”   -Erykah Badu

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Today’s Kwanzaa theme is NIA otherwise known as Purpose. When I think of purpose, I think of my Identity, of our identity, and the restoration of the traditional greatness in the Black/Brown family. Our greatness has been repressed because we have been oppressed, but I can feel the blood of my ancestors running through my veins. It feels amazing. I know that I am wonderful, and I know that it means something to have this history inside of me.

Today, my NIA gift to you is Baduizm, an album that helped me to realize my Greatness. FrontBack

It’s been seventeen years since Erykah Badu released Baduizm. I was 13 at the time, and I remember being mesmerized by her music. I saw the video for On and On and was hooked! Good for me, my mom was into Badu, so she purchased the tape and played it frequently. I was right there by her side, listening to every lyric.

“I can’t believe
That we’re still livin’
Oh, in this crazy, crazy world
That I’m still livin’

With all the problems of the day
How can we go on? Hey
So tired of hearin’ people say
“How can we go on?”

Fantasy people
Make believe people
How can you go on? Yeah
But you’re still livin’ ” – from the song “Drama”

Erykah’s energy seemed to awaken something inside of me. At the time, I couldn’t identify what it was, but it seemed more spiritual than anything. To this day, she is still intoxicating and her lyrics touch my soul. I don’t exactly feel like I am a fan of hers, I feel more of a ethereal kinship to her. I feel the wealth of her knowledge reflected through her music.

As a gift, please enjoy the messages behind the music. Let the baselines take you into the lands and into the hearts of your ancestors. If you can, check out this book on Badu:

1EBEB1

Sometimes we get knocked off course. We get lost in love, sick, distracted by technology, confused, hurt, but we have to remember that we are GREAT. We are more than whatever they told us we are! We should look to ourselves to find our history. KNOWing yourself is fulfilling your purpose. 

Peace and love,

Queen Shi-La on the throne…

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8:30 p.m. 12/30/14

DAY 1 – KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Surah 31:18

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“Let’s take, a long walk, around the park, after dark
Find a spot, for us to spark,
Conversation, verbal elation, stimulation
Share our situations, temptations, education, relaxations
Elevations, maybe we can talk about Surah 31:18”

                                                                                 -Jill Scott

Surah 31:18

“Do not treat men with scorn, nor walk proudly on the earth: God does not love the arrogant and the vainglorious. Rather let your stride be modest and your voice low: the most hideous of voices is braying of the ass.”

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Today’s Kwanzaa theme is UMOJA, otherwise known as Unity. When I think of unifying, I imagine traveling in harmony with someone, or with people who respect me, uplift, and are honest with me. Unifying takes a lot of courage. It is more than holding someone’s hand, it is empowering them and accepting them for who they are. It is respecting the space and the boundaries of others. It is listening with an open heart. It is acknowledging that everyone is human and that we all make mistakes:

“Your background, it ain’t squeaky clean (shit)
Sometimes we all got to swim upstream
You ain’t no saint, we all are sinners
But you put your good foot down, and make your soul a winner,

I respect that, man you’re so phat
And you’re all that, plus SUPREME
Then you’re humble, man I’m numb
Yo’ feeling, I can feel everything that you bring”

                                                                -Jill Scott

Today, my Umoja GIFT to you: Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO “A LONG WALK”

Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1

Nearly 15 years ago, Jill Scott released this very impressive album, which quickly floated towards the top of the charts, swiftly garnering mass public respect and a positive critical response selling 2 million copies. In its entirety, the album is a beautiful and emotional experience of love. The lyrics are erotic, exotic, and express her deepest feelings. She is remarkably honest and raw, singing and reciting poetry straight from the heart, no chaser. Words and Sounds Vol. 1 is crammed with playful love and sincere desire.

As a gift, let us be reminded of the concept of UNITY. Unity starts inside of you. It is important to be ONE with who you are, then, you can spread that love! Let us UNIFY in TRUTH. Let us not be afraid to tell each other how we really feel. Let us always find power in admitting our mistakes, because to hide behind them is death. Let us not throw away our love in the misunderstandings of a weak heart:

Surah 31:16 – “My son, God will bring all things to light, be they small as a grain of mustard seed, be they hidden inside a rock or in the heavens or the earth. Gracious is God, the Universe, all-knowing.

With that said, I am glad that you are here!

“You’re here, I’m pleased
I really dig your company
Your style, your smile, your peace mentality
Lord, have mercy on me
I was blind, now I can see
What a KING’s supposed to be
Baby I feel Free, come on and go with me”

                                                        -Jill Scott

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…and in the spirit of Unity, please remember that you can be a honorable woman or man, you just have to be pure and honest to form great relationships. Walk towards those who don’t hide from who they are; unify with those who want to hear the truth.

“…maybe we can talk about Revelation 3:17”

                                                       -Jill Scott

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Well, I’m headed out for my long walk, around the park, after dark! Peace and love.

Thank you for reading, baby. I love you too. 8:00 p.m. 12/26/14.

Queen OSiRis

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P.S. Remember your roots. Foster good and pure relationships. Let a friend be a friend, let a lover be a lover. Don’t cross lines. Don’t lie.

Umoja principle instructs that each member of the family, and by extension, the community, is constituted by a web of interpersonal relationships. The health and possibilities of the family and community, therefore, is dependent upon the quality of relationship within the family and community.

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