As the Incense Burns 🔥

On this episode, I muse out loud about our serial arts of inhumanity, our fealty to lies and how we stand at the precipice... a point of no return. An uncomfortable truth that only WE can save US. It is these thoughts that served to inspire the spoken word/poetry piece at the end of the episode.

It is my humble hope... that I am wrong on all counts.

On this episode, I read from some selected passages of a series entitled:

Words for Black Boys... from a former one.

These assorted reflections on coming of age in Chicago during the 1980's and 1990's and how I contended with the darts of invective from a group of teachers who seemed determined to break my spirit.

Being told routinely, that I was a hoodlum in training... at best or a perspective juvenile delinquent or the time my teacher laughed at the prospect of me becoming a "newspaper writer" only strengthened my resolve to make her eat those words one day.

I tell this story, because I see the same weaponry of disaffection being used against Black Boys in 2023 and it is critical... that they know.

Your skin... ain't no sin.

This is nothing new under the sun.

History repeats, cycles can be broken.

There is power in numbers and they too can persevere.

The cheering section is alive and well... Black boy, I am you.

Grab a listen.

On this episode, I'm thinking out loud about the things that we honor, what we serve and how we abandon our humanity in the pursuit of titles and other shiny trinkets or minimal worth while wondering out loud about those who disowned me for speaking ill of a certain orange fella (that is so weird... what's wrong with y'all) choosing ideology over your humanity? Then I close with some selected readings of original poetry that I am working on.

I ask the uncomfortable questions in the face of what seems to be the obvious. Humanity excels in the art of being cruel to each other. In the U.S we spend 10 times more on our national defense budget than we do on education, people lean on the fanciful and feeling over facts.

I talk about it on this episode and I issue a challenge or a way forward. I challenge us to reflect love... the kind that has healed us up when we were broken. Speaking to the power of the heroism in our local orbits. Let me know what your thoughts are on our shared fates in the attached poll.

On Episode 49, I discuss how I spent my time on "podcast vacation" outside of the recording booth during the month of July and what I learned on the omnipresent search to be better than my past incarnations.

The reality that our legacy will outlive us and that urgency should serve as our fuel, but instead it is an afterthought.

There is a lot of reflection on the fickleness of humanity, the rapidity of time and the clear and present danger of foolishness masquerading as wisdom.

I created a lot of original work during July and accordingly I peel back the layers of the creative process on of some of it - including some of the voice readings ie; protest poetry that made the rounds on the "internets".

Remember, if this show echoes, by way of this hyperlink: share the wealth, grab a book, tell a friend and the rest of em'.

On this episode, I lean on some wisdom gifted to me by way of my son, who told me to break patterns and a gem given to me by one of my favorite Authors, my dear sister from another DNA helix, K.E Garland... that is Dr. Garland if you are literary, as she told me to empty my shit (poetry of the auditory).

So, I use some musicial freqeuncies created by way of my son, a professional musician.... and I read unscripted parts from my notebook, to the tune of 2 and a half minutes - in acknowledgment of breaking patterns and emptying my shit.

A testament to synchroncity never missing.

We are at the halfway point of the year, good people... what have we learned about ourselves?

Are we being loyal to the army of we?

Grab a listen to the diction.

On this episode, I discuss the filling of cups, the serving of others, the power of affirmations to change our trajectories and how it healed me, as it is apparent that many are abdicating this critical role, but why?

I also have readings of freshly scripted poetry, teasers from an eventual Volume III, possibly? The power of lessons gifted in the frequencies of love, metaphors in Star Trek, extended words to Black Boys and a concept that I am hashing out called Manifestivate.

Come through and grab a listen to the diction and if you like it, get a subscription and become a sponsor... why don't ya?

On this episode, I'm thinking out loud about what we honor, what we love, what/who we place on pedestals and how we cheat ourselves out of our humanity by way of choosing ideology over facts. It is against this backdrop that the creative process can serve to redeem, because if we stand by and do nothing... all is lost.

Aren't we better than that... or not?

#mindset #selfcare #healing #writing

We point the finger at others to distract from the crimes of betrayal that we commit against ourselves. Who do we honor and what... does this say about us?

On Episode 44, I take on the notions of love without grace, namely the phenomenon of those... who say they love Jesus, while hating everyone that he said to love. My goal? Is to understand... just who are they... serving? Grab a seat and take a listen or let's hash it out on a walk.