shila iris poet | Orbit

Bullet Proof Soul

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Waiting for the verdict to be read, my heart became heavy. I didn’t want to seem negative, but the results seemed obvious. Predictable. Our lives are often devalued. We are treated as less than human, while marksmen point their artillery at our skulls… we have grown BULLET PROOF SOULS, to survive. In this land of the free, home of the brave or home of the [slave]? In times of distress, I have to lift myself. So let’s Get Lifted in the music. Today, I choose, Sade. Her voice soothes me and reminds me of how powerful I am. We are powerful. I am goddess soul, floating in a dimension, above this, this state of chaos. We will wake up. And you will watch us…

… and although the decision made in Cleveland today was not surprising at all, it still hit me like a slow bullet. My mind, my heart, my soul, goes out to my people. We suffer. But. We are the strongest alive. When there was nothing to prove, my ancestors proved it. When there was no way to move, my ancestors created, innovated. And so will we. Dig this poetry…

THE lyrics of SADE…

I was so in love with you
You rarely see a love that’s true
Wasn’t that enough for you
Wasn’t that enough for you
I would climb a mountain
I wouldn’t want to see you fall
Rock climb for you
And give you a reason for it all

You kept on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun

Hit me like a slow bullet
Like a slow bullet
It took me some time to realise it

You keep on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun

I know the end before
The story’s been told
It’s not that complicated
But you’re gonna need a bullet proof soul

You keep on thinking
You were the only one
Too busy thinking
Love is a gun

I know the end before
The story’s been told
It’s not that complicated
But you’re gonna need a bullet proof soul

You were trigger happy baby
You never warned me let me free
It’s not that complicated
But you’re going to need a bullet proof soul
Think you got it but you got all the trouble you need
I came in like a lamb
But I intend to leave like a lion

It hit me like a slow bullet
It hit me like a slow bullet

-I am Shila, thank you for reading.

peace and blessings manifest with every LESSON learned. I’ve been hit with bullets for almost 2 years now. The final shot taken at my heart. I bled. From September to December. My heart sank. My mind blank. It took a lot for me to come alive, again. I have been so determined not to find my happiness and worth in the smile of another. The foundation of my worth is ME. I am always happy to be alone. In those moments, my soul is well fed. We all have to learn. I have. Peace.

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.

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.

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. ♥

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!”

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.
i am OSIRIS and I’m RiSinG!!

Sunday Morning Sermons

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We all need to be fed differently. I eat from this tree. I am well nourished. Sunday morning mysteries, wake up world and stop sleeping.

Verse 2:

Now see me, like a fool wandering in my own hell
Because I believe I can save this love
Tell me how far must I disregard my own pride, my own pride
To make you understand this love is for real

Oh deep down, beyond, the surface of your humble heart
You long for my passion, you long for love

Verse 2:

Why do we want to remain where we started?
And how long do we want to stop ourselves from thinking?
We should learn from experience that what we are here for this existence
But now we decide to use the same hatred to suppress our own brothers
It is so comfortable to say racism is the cause
But this time it is the same colour chasing and biting us
Knowledge and selfishness that they gave to us,
this is what we use to abuse us

Wake up world!!
Wake up and stop sleeping
Wake up africa!!
Wake up and stop blaming
Open your eyes!!
Stand up and rise
Road block oh life penalty

Apply it to your life. Start thinking deeper. Dive into the real. There, you will find me. Alone.

Peace and blessings manifest,
wake up man, woman, and stop sleeping!

I am Shila, the most High

I am your Soul Sista…

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Sometimes in life, we cannot offer people a commitment, but we can offer them one hell of an experience! All experiences are relevant. We need them to balance us out for what is to come. So don’t be afraid to love. Love right. Not at the risk of hurting someone, but purely, and bravely. I am your soul sista. Let’s have a good time.

I love Bilal in this. The way he touches her at @0:35 & @2:07 is incredible. The movement throughout is lovely especially @3:25. Brings back memories, Bilal! I see you QuestLove!

On an ARTISTIC level this song hit so many hi-hats in my spirit. It’s very poetic.

and 5 more for the road…

EXPERIENCE 1: I just got out of a situation, and I’m not trying to get into anything serious, but we can chill. Know what I mean?

EXPERIENCE 2: There ain’t no denying the strength of this attraction.

EXPERIENCE 3: It feels so right, it can’t be wrong.

EXPERIENCE 4: How can I want you for myself, when I’m already someone’s girl?

EXPERIENCE 5: Money flying everywhere! Every person deserves an experience where there is no penny-pinching. “Spend my money, baby!” Have fun!

Be accountable for all your experiences. Pass no judgement because we all enjoy the excitement of being with someone who understands our needs. Like instruments, sometimes we get out of tune, and we have to find the right tuner. Even if it’s for the moment, we have to be open to the sound of the person whom the Universe sends to show us our reflection. When you look into that person’s eyes, that mirror, you better be ready to face reality because you will see the good, but you most definitely see the bad. All of what you see in that person, is you. We are human beings, we are soundboards for one another. We attract people who are weak like us and strong like us. Find the next person that will tune you. Get your sound right and come back around.

I’m not endorsing this behavior, but it is kind of sexy, right? -John Legend

P.S. Remember to tell the truth about your choices. Don’t cover up a good experience with lies because you are embarrassed or afraid of what people might think. You have to know that we reap what we sow. Karma is that balance we need to wake up. Be private and use discretion, and most importantly be honest with the person with whom you are having the experience with. There is no need to fake or rush anything. Rushed behavior only leads to more hurt and confusion. Take your time and allow things to blossom or allow yourself to live in the moment because time doesn’t wait for any of us. Live the life you desire. Kiss a girl who makes your blood boil. Kiss a man who makes you scream.

From my heart to yours, the lessons I’ve learned. Peace & love.

-Shila Iris

Pulling From the Universe Inside of ME – Nurturing My Cipher

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I was trying to go it alone, but he said, “I want to assist you through this process.” Before I knew it, I was crying. That is the impact a true friend has. It’s not just rhetoric, it’s responsibility. He wanted to hold my hand. He was pure.

***** The seasons will forever change. We all know it. The leaves have fallen off my trees. The ground beneath my feet is hard and cold. My flowers are hiding until the spring, but I can still feel the green, the roots. My foundation is being set. I’ve never felt this powerful in my life! It feels good. My season has changed and I’ve had to spend a lot of time alone. Spending time with myself, with my own thoughts, not being dependent on another has been empowering! Not jumping from affair to affair has been elevating. Having friends and family around who see the greatness in me, has been nourishing. I am not afraid to be alone anymore or to commit to myself anymore. I’m thinking, if you can’t be alone with you, why would other people want to? I don’t want to attract the same type of energy again and again, so I guess it is time to cleanse!

I record my experiences using poetry. When I talk to people about how great it feels to go through things, no matter how painful, when I tell people my story, they are interested! I’ve been encouraged to always be a griot, a storyteller, and to use the magic of my words to nurse my strength. When I write, I can feel the magic. It’s healing. I am a writer who’s finds the most comfort in telling my own story. My journey through the seasons has been tumultuous. I had been holding on to things that were damaging me. I had read many self-help books that I thought would assist in my healing, only to realize that the healing didn’t start until I let go of the thing that was hurting me most. I had to take time out to learn myself and although I have been alone, many people have come to me, and given me hugs, smiles, kisses, and so much love.

This is my thank you LETTER to the wonderful people in my CIPHER. Some of you are miles away, but when I needed you, somehow you sensed it, and you were right here with me. I am forever grateful. May we journey onward through the seasons. Everything is good until it is not! It’s been a long time coming… read (click on the image below to enlarge)

“his excitement in hearing my voice was attractive. it always had been. it felt real. not rehearsed. it felt right.”

the THANK YOU LETTER… you have to adjust your screens to read.

and although, i don’t need to run to people to save me, i’ve realized that there are people who genuinely want to help. No matter how much I refuse, they feel like they have to. It’s quite amazing. I am grateful. this poem was originally published here, on January 29, with other things in mind. It is still relevant in my journey. it is not a love poem. it is a poem to show my regards for those who really CARE about me. and they have proven this time and time again. i can’t believe how wonderful you are. i deserve u. i miss u.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thank you friends, lovers, family, companions, artists- everyone who has experienced me! Everyone who rose to my occasion, everyone who was interested in the truth.

You are so true.

i can see the sun shining on me, through you.

i can see it in the words that you write.

the pictures that you take.

the stories that you create.

your style,

your flow.

i needed honesty.

i needed someone to remind me.

and you were that person.

i want to be like you!

Osiris, I am you.

Horus, I am you.

Isis, I am you.

Maat, I am you.

Zarina Asha, I am you.

Imhotep Famj, I am you.

SunRe, I am you.

Kitara, i am you.

Ike Ejiogu, I am you.

You all are the Papyrus of Ani,

and i am reading you thoroughly.

thank you for the warm kisses.

thank you for SHOWING up.

thank you for not giving up on ME,

and not allowing me to give up on myself.

thank you for not humiliating me or lying.

I thank you for never running away,

and for respecting me enough to let me live through the consequences of my bad decisions. i kept a strong face, but I was crying inside. you all never passed judgment… i am running towards you at a fast pace, I need you most.

My opposing viewpoints earned me lifetime lovers. thank you for taking my heart carefully in your hands and stroking it.

through my experiences, I am wiser.

My feet are touching solid ground because of you.

I am most grateful for those who did not wait for the smoke to clear.

they helped me get to safety.

they gave me the tools, the support I needed to save myself.

No looking back. The new is on the horizon.

i am filling myself up again with REAL things!

thank you so much!

to those who did not compare my journey to their own or anyone’s.

they did not look for opportunities to vent,

they listened.

they allowed me to exist in exclusivity.

they allowed me to be in the lime light.

those who just accepted me for who i am.

those who did not share my pain with the world.

or talk about me in circles as if they had any idea what life has been like for me.

you don’t know me at all.

Thank you to all who allow me to tell my own stories.

thank you to those who did not stump on me.

their insecurities did not force me into a corner.

their insecurities did not force me to lie.

their confidence encouraged me to be free,

to be happy, to be merry,

and not to live my life trying to please people who really don’t love me.

they helped me to see that I cannot be controlled.

i am in control of me.

they helped me to not seek revenge,

but to release the things that bound me.

Friend: “Let it go baby!

LET IT GO BABY!”

i was so blind, but now i see.

you listened to my story. you listened to the truth.

asante sana. nakupenda. lala salama.

I am Shila Iris also known as YoU.

Gotta give up it up to the cReAtor, allAh, JEHovah, mAAt, Jah, RastaFARI…

a song for you.

ERYKAH BADU: THE Healer

Monday, October 13, 2014, 2:34 p.m.

I think I’m in love with a woman… wait, maybe several of them!

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Yes, I love the ladies! These sisters know how to bring the fire! Check em’ out.

DYNASTY, this lyrical beast, IS MY MAIN CHICK RIGHT NOW!

“Listen to the MC when he spittin’/ if he represent the elements, he’s furthering the mission.”

Dynasty

Not only is she super cute, but her lyrics are amazing. Definitely deep and dope! CLiCk here to hear. FORGIVE, Live at FUNKFEST, MAGNIFICENT, EPIC. WEBSITE

____________________

SA-ROC, the rap genius, IS MY SIDE CHICK! She is intoxicating and most definitely untouchable. However, she is my “go to” and I would actually choose her over my main! How can I say no? Have you seen her? What’s so great about her is that her lyrics are not surface. You have to dig deeper and deeper and deeper. So be prepared to experience truth.

“My grind metaphysical/spiritual/hustler/I’m a wild seed like Octavia/Butler/they study my demeanor/ trynna get my lotus poles/drop a cool 16 with my poets prose/Like I’m Nikki/definitely not Minaj/Giovanni!”

Sa-Roc

CliCK here to hear. BLACK GOD THEORY, QUEEN’S PHILOSOPHY, DEMON DESTROYER, THE SLEEPING DOGON GIANTS. WEBSITE

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AKUA NARU, rapper and poet, IS MY AROUND THE WAY CHICK! I will travel far to see her because her presence is water to my flowers and food for my soul. She is refreshingly sophisticated and mature. Above that, I admire her career because she has been successful with promoting her music around the world. I also love to hear her smooth voice. I think I need her. Smile.

Akua Naru

CLIck here to hear. HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW?, TALES OF (WO) MEN, THE FLIP. WEBSITE

____________________

THE LES NUBIANS ARE the sultry WOMEN I LIKE TO WATCH. They are gorgeous, melodic, confident, and super eccentric in such a great way. I’m loyal to them- always. Oh my! Check out the way their bodies move! Pure hotness! They will forever have a place near my heart. Peace and love to them.

Les Nubians- a bit blurry, but one of my favorite pics

CliCK here to listen. LIVE, MAKEDA LIVE, AFRODANCE. WEBSITE

Bonus! Check out Ms. Lauryn Hill. I really believe that we need to stop judging this sister here. I’ve noticed that people have been so quick to dog her out! Damn, chill already! She just got out. Let her find her voice again. It can be hard to put up with the bullshit that comes with success. Let’s allow her to breathe.

Thank you for stopping by! Remember to keep an open heart and an open mind. Have fun.

Reading: LET YOUR MOTTO BE RESISTANCE by Deborah Willis