“woke” + awakening
I have been living in a Buddhist Monastery for the past 6 months. So that’s 6 months of morning meditation at 5:30 am, evening meditation that ends at 9:00pm, no food after noon since we eat 2 meals a day, no entertainment, and more.
being witnessed
In all honesty, the issue with visibility started before I even had language. This fear was given to me, a family heirloom, an artifact.
to understand violation
It was the summer that I was 16 going on 17, though I can’t remember if it happened after my July birthday or before. I knew him, and had rejected all of his advances for months, would not give myself to him.
what love looks like in the hood
I stood on the corner of 123rd Street and 2nd Ave. Wagner Projects. On one side of me were the men selling crack rock. On the other side were the addicts getting their daily fix. I was there selling too, except what I had for sale was chocolate.