Working on the “invisible” me so that the “visible” me can be better.
Like the Sun, I rise. poetry… coming soon.
Shila Iris
Day 4 – KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Reciprocity
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I am one of those people who truly enjoy supporting my fellow brothers and sisters. If you have a business of any sort, that I can use, I will come. Storefront, or online, in your house, or if you’re a vendor at festivals, I’ll be there. Musically inclined, I’ll be there. Seriously, I wrote a chant called, I’ll Be There! I will continue to come and offer suggestions when necessary, because it’s important to me. More so than the money that I spend, I believe that my time is most valuable, so even, when I come, believe me, I want to support you. study groups, community gatherings, book clubs, bonfires, cookouts- it’s all relevant to who I am, to who we are.
Furthermore, I’ll live amongst my people, and talk to them, and build them up in any way that I can. The peace of a suburb is too easy for me. I don’t desire it, because anywhere I go, my partner and I, and maybe you, we’ll make it work for us. WE MAKE IT WORK!
In 2016 I’ll need that same support, and although I haven’t asked for it before, I’ll ask for it now because I authentically need to feel the love of my people. The reciprocity, the balance is necessary.
__________________________________________________
Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.
Day 4- Instructions for Kwanzaa: You should greet your friends and family by asking: Habari gani? (Translation: What’s the news?); and today, they can respond: Ujamaa! (Translation: Cooperative Economics) Learn more about Kwanzaa here.
SOME KNOWLEDGE
https://www.youtube.com/user/w4wproductions
SOME MUSIC to SET the MOOD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIjLBK_n-74
KWANZAA DAY 1
KWANZAA DAY 2
KWANZAA DAY 3
Day 3 – KWANZAA AFTER DARK: We Can Get a Lot More Done Together
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Ujima (oo-GEE-mah)
Day 3- Instructions for Kwanzaa: You should greet your friends and family by asking: Habari gani? (Translation: What’s the news?); and today, they can respond: Ujima! (Translation: Collective Work and Responsibility) Learn more about Kwanzaa here.
Tonight, let’s talk about the 3rd Principle of Kwanzaa: Ujima, which means Collective Work & Responsibility.
I had to do it alone,
for a long time,
I had to be this way, but now,
I can call on my partner,
what about you? -Shila
Collective work can look like this: Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective
In my travels and experiences, I have witnessed a lot of Us turning against one another, which causes us to break up group efforts. Personal feelings, incest, and dishonesty get in the way of many many good things. How can we begin to change this? I have some ideas, but what do you think?
- Unity is strength, division is weakness. ~ Swahili proverb
- Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~ Bondei proverb
- It takes a village to raise a child. ~ African proverb
- Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you. ~ African proverb
- Many hands make light work. ~ Haya (Tanzania) proverb
- Where there are many, nothing goes wrong. ~ Swahili proverb
- Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper. ~ Tanzanian proverb
- A single bracelet does not jingle. ~ Congolese proverb
- A single stick may smoke, but it will not burn. ~ African proverb
- If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~ African proverb
I am Shila. Thank you for visiting.
Happy Kwanzaa!
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Isn’t she beautiful? I’m just saying.
Ninakupenda,
Shila Iris
Stay tuned for my blog series, Kwanzaa After Dark… coming, tonight, after dark! ♥
DAY 1 – KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Afrikan Aesthetics May Lead You There
DAY 2 – KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Gil Scott-Heron & My koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah
Day 2- KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Gil Scott-Heron & My koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah
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KUJICHAGULIA (koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah) means SeLF-DeTerMiNation
________________________
So, what are you determined to do?
________________________
poeTry by Shila Iris (a choppy freestyle poem)
I am determined to free myself, and my people
Think for myself, and pass it on to the children
Name myself, disconnect from the Barnes,
you can call me Shila, Iris, OSiRis RiSinG
after my pilgrimage, I came back with an X
never liked working for a “boss,”
job title, a Creator,
I speak to us, I speak to them
a griot storyteller, I don’t preach to Us
You can see my face on the walls in Kemet
a sleep shaker, waking up the complacent
the grand reaper, like a thief in the night stole his brain
Now he walking dead, insane to the membrane
I promote self, the return of the Messiah,
the god in You, return to the throne cause you’re worthy
but we don’t rule from up high, that’s a lie
created by an informant and a spy, a spook
would you like me to measure you in a hook?
-COMMERCIAL-
You getting weaker Mr. Man, with all the female friends,
leave the weapon in your pants, and take her on a mind dance
she don’t need you impregnating her with the Omen
and masquerading her around in surround sound, reality Tv,
could it be any faker?
… AND NOW LET”S RETURN TO MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED KWANZAA FREESTYLE FLOW…
I am determined to follow the signs that lead me away from drama and chaos.
The hurdles in the road bring colossal disappointments,
but, smooth seas don’t make good sailors.
I am a mariner,
like the car I drive,
I strive, for excellence
defined by no Other.
Surely, I am not judging myself based on your speculations
surely, you are not feeding me your translation
I am focused on my emancipation
from the distractions in my lap, Like,
cell phones with IG notifications, FB stimulation and
tweet hydration, but they don’t really drink the sweet tea outside of
history textbook philosophy
I’m not a dreamer, I’ve transcended,
I’m not a peacekeeper,
I have no limits,
I have to stop listening to you modify the truth so that i can get the real answers.
if facts can be fiction. then let’s change the facts,
my shield, my koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah, my
magic, did you see the fire come from my finger tips?
did you hear the SPE LL whispered from my lips?
twist in a hip, start a war,
but, I’m armored,
with a mind like weapons
of mass construction
simple deductions bring hardcore answers,
i stick close to the One that can
stomp like an elephant, sting like a bee, carry a load like an ant,
yep, I plant seeds… with self-determination, you won’t catch me!
Happy Kwanzaa! I hope you enjoyed your day. I just loved mine! -i am Shila Iris
Karibu (Welcome) to Day 2– Instructions for Kwanzaa:
You should greet your friends and family by asking: Habari gani? (Translation: What’s the news?); and today, they can respond: Kujichagulia! (Translation: Self-Determination) Learn more about Kwanzaa here.
Let’s talk about the 2nd Principle of Kwanzaa: Kujichagulia.
KNOWLEDGE OF SELF by Black Starr
My gift to you today, on day 2, is Gil Scott-Heron, because I want to remind you that you don’t have to live in a bottle. Be determined to GET FREE and LIVE trying. Gil inspires my freestyle flows. He had so much soul. Check it out, will you?
Asante sana. Thank you for visiting African Essence by Shila Iris
Day 1- KWANZAA AFTER DARK: Afrikan Aesthetics May Lead You There
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READ BELOW
So, you’re here to join me for my 9 p.m. Sunrise? Happy Kwanzaa! I hope you enjoyed your day. I just loved mine! -i am Shila Iris
Day 1- Instructions for Kwanzaa:
You should greet your friends and family by asking: Habari gani? (Translation: What’s the news?); and today, they can respond: Umoja! (Translation: Unity) Learn more about Kwanzaa here.
Tonight, let’s talk about the 1st Principle of Kwanzaa: Umoja, which means Unity.
Allow it.
The mind opens
as the heart prepares itself for the full
embrace of the Season.
The climate has changed in my favor
The Sun kisses me as if I were near the Equator
She asks about my glow,
inquiring of the fullness of my belly
I say to her,
Umoja!
I am at peace with the One inside of me,
he and I are unified eternally
He shall be the one I see when I look into the mirror
my reflection,
is adorned with the promise
of my maturity,
baby,
speak to me. -i am poet, Shila
_____________________________
What if you fully embraced images of you? Your hair, your heritage (find it), your family? It’s a melanin thing, more like a blood stream, more like the River Nile, pulsating, inside of me, it incites me, excites me…
TIMBUKTU, SEPTEMBER 2009: Caligrapher and Copyist Buboubacar Sadeck teaches students the art of ancient caligraphy on a Timbuktu rooftop, September 8, 2009. Timbuktu is a historical Malian city, a long established centre of learning for Africa, Islam is at the heart of that learning as is medicine, science, law and technology. All of that knowledge has been preserved in manuscripts written out by men like Buboubacar since the 11th century. Since the resurgence of interest in the manuscripts of Timbuktu, students are learning the art of caligraphy as both an artistic and economic excercise. (Photo by Brent Stirton/National Geographic.)
Les Desandann chorus from camagüey, performing in a sugarcane field. The chorus has haitian roots.
Guadeloupe winter carnival, Pointe-à-Pitre parade. A young woman, performer wearing traditional carnival outfit (waist up outdoor portrait).
I cannot be anyone other than me.
This is the Spirituality of Our Ancestors: Afrikan Aesthetics, I give you the first gift of Kwanzaa, us Unifying, is Oshun. Enjoy them, and let me know what you think.
Read about them:
Kwanzaa: Obama Approved!
Music for tonight.
P.S. If you’re in Cleveland, you should check this out tonight (keep in mind, the start time can be misleading. Honestly, I think if you make it there by 11:30 pm, you’ll be good.
This Moment in Black History at Mahall’s. Click on the image for more information.
Peace & blessings manifest with every lesson learned,
Shila Iris
My heart is like a marching band…
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MUSIC FOR A FRIDAY NIGHT
- Outkast featuring Sleepy Brown & Scar : Morris Brown
“Music makes the world go round
Where it goes (where it goes)
Ya’ just don’t know (ya just don’t know)
My heart is like a marching band
Im a fan in the stands
Yes I am and Im hollerin’ hey baby
Sayin hey baby” -Scar
Did that get your heart going? The woodwinds, brass, and of course the MARCHING PERCUSSION also known as the DRUMLINE. Yeah! Maybe a little Busta now? Wish he was cleaner though…
We like it a little dirty (minus the nigga and bitch, yeah, I try to meet people where they are, but yes, it can be hard to weed through the negative)
- Busta Rhymes : Dangerous
- Mos Def : Ghetto Rock
Gotta love him and his partner…
- Talib Kweli featuring Seu Jorge : Favela Love
Keep the heartbeat jumping (this is for the rapper in all of us)…
- Wu Tang Clan featuring Cappadonna : Triumph
You want to hear a little of the new school? Ok then. Don’t jump to conclusions, be sure to listen to the lyrics…
- Lupe Fiasco : Bitch Bad
“Just like that, you see the fruit of the confusion
He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion
Bad mean good to her, she really nice and smart
But bad mean bad to him, bitch don’t play a part
But bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong way
But she think she a bitch, what a double entendre” -Lupe
And Old Skool still proves to be better than most of the new. I stay in this lane…
“Excuse me, my name should be on the guest list!”
- De Le Soul featuring Redman: Oooh
The last set of a good party brings us closer together! Smoothness…
- Pharcyde : Passin’ Me By
- Janet Jackson : That’s the Way Love Goes
- Buju Banton : Champion
- Beenie Man Featuring Mya : Girls Dem Sugar
- Shabba Ranks eaturing Maxi Priest : House Call
- Wayne Wonder : No Letting Go
- Bilal : White Turns to Grey
- FKA Twigs : Papi Pacify
Friday nights are great, and so are Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays! Everyday is wonderful.
That’s all I got for now. Can we make a musical masterpiece?
Peace and blessings,
Shila Iris
Men despise what they do not understand…
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… and so do women.
Do not sit and frown at her
because,
your belief system
is not
spiritually
nourishing
to her.
Do not assume
that
she is something that she is not,
because
your way of living makes her feel,
confined.
Would you rather she die?
Today,
did you ask her if she was happy,
or,
are you more concerned with converting her,
into you?
Play chess with a king, do you see? I am in the front seat, isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? You should find some balance, so that we can drink, and rise to your occasion, he only rises to my persuasion. I am not hunting him down, because he comes. This is, Us. And it can be you too, but you gotta stop fighting the Truth. I am not a mistress, I’m a Queen. Phenomenal. I am shedding those things that gave me insomnia. I am reborn. Cause life is about living, and not hiding. Life is about smiling, and striving, to find, your magic.
You condemn on hearsay evidence alone, your sins increase. -Nubian Proverb
Your eurocentric perspectives gave birth to chaos. People of Afrikan descent adopted these beliefs because they were forced to. Generations later, they hate themselves because you told them to hate themselves, and you killed those who didn’t subscribe to the extermination of nubian-kush greatness. Nonetheless, I do not hate myself. I embrace the ALL, even you. But do not tell me, that my spirit should be like yours, because you are asking me to believe in you as my God, and not me. How disrespectful. I admire all faces, but I do not praise you over me. Do you praise me over you? I would hope, that you believed in yourself. So…
Eurocentrism is a geographical fiction that flattens the cultural diversity of even Europe itself. Stop imposing your beliefs on people. Your system dumbs me down- straight jacket style. Today, I’m not having it.
We strive for different things, you and I, but I am not offended. I respect all that you are, and I hope that you are happy, being exactly who God made you- nothing altered, nothing false. Be true. Your lips. Your smile. Your color. Your lisp. Love it. Stop changing you (and pull up your damn pants!).
This is some Afrikan proverb for you, because, I love you.
Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned,
Shila Iris
Stop looking at me sideways and embrace who I am. I made a decision to be this way. I live this way. I am fully committed to the truth. Not some lie, that I have to validate. You can love me. I love you already.
I recognize you…
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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. – shila iris
This article was originally published here.
MORE POETRY by Shila Iris
Cleveland Native, Author Sharon Draper will be in Town Tomorrow Night!
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Teen Author and Educator, Sharon Draper will be at the Cleveland Public Library’s Main Branch (downtown) tomorrow night at 7 pm!
If you are a parent with a teenager, a teacher, educator, librarian, public service’s professional, or perhaps you just enjoy reading young adult and children’s books, you might appreciate this wonderful visit from the Coretta Scott King Award Winner.
Draper is from Cleveland, Ohio, and you know it’s important that we support our natives, so check her out if you can! 🙂 She may be able to offer some insight to educators and parents, facing the challenges of grade school classrooms, especially those with students of African descent. Are you, not quite burned out, but crispy around the edges? ↓
What I enjoy most about Draper’s writing is her realistic edge. Her stories are relatable and can help us to better understand the minds of a teenager. This isn’t surprising, seeing that her background is in education. Her books are an incredible journey through some tough situations, and definite forces to reckon with, but there are lessons in each.
As a poet, a lover of rhyme and rhythm, I especially enjoyed this:
Draper in Cleveland at a young age:
Draper in Cleveland at age 14
Draper at age 15
Draper as a Student Teacher
Check her out.
Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned.
I am Shila, but you can call me Nubia of Kush. ♥
Clairvoyance through Observation
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The past is gone forever,
the future does not exist.
Our moment,
together,
is Now.
Will you see me? -Shila Iris
The Digital Collage Art of Nkiruka Oparah
The Affirmation:
I pray for the power to LoVe appropriately,
the courage to forgive,
for clairvoyance through observation,
and for the integrity to honor my word,
respecting all who deserve such…
_____________________________________
More on the FEATURED artist:
Nkiruka Oparah. Fusing her own photography with film/video stills and images sourced through Tumblr, Oparah fashions striking collages and graphics that mediate upon portrayals of African identity. The Brooklyn-based Nigerian artist weaves socio-cultural narratives into glitchy compositions that acknowledge complex histories with a forward-looking slant; “It’s the flux of the internet- its incompleteness- in combination with an evolving African identity that opened up this graphic way of image making for me”, says Oparah, in conversation with The Guardian earlier this year (online magazine).
How the Art Makes Me Feel. The work of Nkiruka Oparah is quite tasteful and very inspiring. I am prone to support art that represents the Afrikan diaspora, that in which I can see myself, and in this case, I believe that Oparah does an excellent job of identifying with the different elements of the Afrikan journey through civilization. Her art is a call to look within. It reminds me of the importance of “knowing thyself,” which is more than the obvious, it is tapping into the magic of your existence and loving all the elements that make up you, because:
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. – Marcus Gravey
… in my absence, I am thinking
and learning and creating…
when time passes by,
I can see you clearly.
Shila Iris
Related:
Music, Proverbs & Sankofa
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As my life transitions into endless days of learning the meaning of truth, justice, balance, order, compassion, harmony, and reciprocity, the weekend lines have disappeared and everyday is just as beautiful and wonderful as the one before. There are no days that I dislike. I am grateful for each and every moment that I am alive. No day will be wasted. No complaints.
- Set the tone of your day with an AFRIKAN PROVERB: Proverbs are an integral part of Afrikan culture. Passed on from generation to generation for centuries, they are still in wide use today and are very much part of everyday speech.
“A millipede will not limp because of one missing leg.”
-a Somali proverb by Abdishukri Mohamed of Wajir, Kenya
- Consecrate your day as DIVINE with SANKOFA: Sankofa is a word in the Akan language of Ghana that translates as “reach back and get it” (san – to return; ko – to go; fa – to fetch, to seek and take) and also refers to the Asante Adinkra symbol represented either by a bird with its head turned backwards taking an egg off its back, or as a stylised heart shape.
“I remember my ancestors, my grandparents, uncles and aunts, those connected to me spiritually, that fought for “Our Way.” Your spirits are Alive, inside, of Me. I see you in my dreams, and I can feel you nudging me, to wake up.”
- Find MUSIC & STORIES that Honor YOU: Find a song that honors your TRUE self. Your lips, your nose, your natural hair, your creative and original thoughts, your efforts, your Blackness, your loVe, your mistakes, your growth- JUST You! There is no need to pretend, mask, or live behind a smokescreen. Be who you were Born to Be. Let us See You. LOok into your own eyes. Find artists who HONOR YOU. Sing songs that uplift. Look at videos with images of You. Let us Learn to discard of things that push and represent a negative agenda. Our Way is not to entertain and masquerade and breed confusion and chaos. Find positive vibrations that allow you to live outside of stereotypes and status quos. SING YOUR OWN SONGS OF JOY AND RETRIBUTION.
MUSIC WITH AFRIKAN AESTHETICS & POSITIVE MESSAGES & VIBRATIONS
I am OSiRis RiSinG aka Shila Iris
Musings and Inspiration
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She touched me with her fly-ness, her highness.
Her articulation…
Her calm…
Her rhythm…
Her rawness…
Her discipline…
Her creativity…
Her smile…
Her flava…
Her wisdom…
Now, I am inspired to create.
in·flu·en·tial
ˌinflo͞oˈen(t)SH(ə)l/
adjective
-
having great influence on someone or something.“her work is influential in feminist psychology”
I am Shila
I’m thinking Mustard…
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SOLAR PLEXUS MELLOW YELLOW: Open Your 3rd Chakra
Did you know that the colors you wear can affect your mood? When worn therapeutically, wearing yellow instills and promotes WILL POWER, wisdom, intellect, enthusiasm, joy, and optimism. It stimulates the solar plexus, which are the sympathetic nerves in the pit of your stomach. Next time you wear yellow, pay attention to how your body responds to it. You determine if there is a difference or not.
The Solar-plexus or 3rd chakra, the Manipura is located just above the naval and below the rib cage. It is our energy center and it radiates vital life energy (prana) through-out our entire body. It is where our Will Power comes from; our ability to achieve, self-esteem, raw emotions, and self-discipline are all governed by the Manipura. It is where we can have a mental understanding of our emotional self.
The Manipura not only governs the emotional and mental aspect of your psyche but also your psychic experiences. Often a feeling of intuition or “gut feeling” in a certain situation will benefit you greatly if you listen to it. All aspects of the digestive tract, including the assimilation of nutrients are controlled by the 3rd Chakra.
___________________________
On the brown, yellow is so hot!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Check out my board:
As far as COLOR THERAPY GOES, chromotherapy is a type of alternative medicine that uses light in the form of color to balance “energy” that is lacking from a person’s body. This can work on a physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental plane. Color is absorbed by the eyes, skin, skull, and connects with cells in the body that need light energy – thus color energy has widespread effects on the whole body.
I am Shila Iris, governed by the Sun, I shine bright.
The meaning of the color yellow.
You are colorful.
… and gifted
♥ Beautiful AfriKan E-gYpsy ♥
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I woke up hearing this song and I thought of homelessness and hunger. I thought, “such bullshit! We have food for everyone.” I thought of women with afros. I thought of the Black Panther Party, of Nina Simone. I thought of freedom, I thought of pain, I thought of detachment from the material. I thought of sunshine. I thought of moons. I thought of pride and egos. I thought of humility. I thought of struggle, of dilapidation and decay. I thought of travel. I thought of facades and The Pharcyde. I thought of heartbeats. I thought of people selling their souls. I thought of the things we do for money. I thought of marijuana and mushrooms. I thought of historically Black Colleges and Universities. I thought of children who don’t get enough hugs and kisses and attention. I thought of airplanes soaring through clouds. I thought of religion. I thought of Farrakhan, and then of Obama. I thought of Kush people. I thought of love… and then I turned to him and said, “hey, I thought of You.”
We can solve our problems together. Let go. Let love! I know he’s got my back. He helps me help her. Her, is me, an Egyptian Gypsy. Peace and love to the people who want to get free. For the fearless people who say yes, to the spirit, and no to the flesh. If you want me, prove it. If you love me, show it.
Check out that super dope ankh earring she has on @0.33! Amazing!
♥ Egyptian GYPsy LOVE ♥
La da dee la dee da!
♥ The lyrics to Gypsy Woman by Crystal Waters are very moving! ♥
She wakes up early every morning
Just to do her hair now
Because she cares ya’llHer day oh wouldn’t be right
Without her make up
She’s never without her makeupShe’s just like you and me
But she’s homeless, she’s homeless
As she stands there singing for money…
Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned,
I am Kush
Earth & Ether 