a charcuterie board for the imagination, if you will
perching lines, no. 5
Hello gentle-people,
In case you missed it, I have a new job! I am newly released from overthinking about when and where my money is coming from. I feel so much lighter, without the weight of unemployment occupying my mind.
It has been a gentle landing though, since saying yes and since I found the energy to think about other things. But when I say I write for “restless dreamers,” I include myself in that. I have had trouble sleeping for the past week, as new thoughts and dreams enter my mind with excitement.
I started this series inspired by many things:
the need to slow down my essay publishing
a desire to sit with my words and the words of others
to inspire deeper connection for the gentle readers who land here
and in this season, in light of what I have shared, to give myself a much needed study break
Let’s look at our perching lines for today.
🐦⬛ about perching lines
A “perch” is a light rest. Much needed in a world where many of us have to learn how to catch a break while standing up. In these short posts, I will offer poems, questions, and connections for those brief moments of reprieve. [Explore more in this series.]
Today’s perching lines are some quotes from posts I have read recently that I have enjoyed. My most recent essay won’t be referenced here, but feel free to dive into the “I could care less series,” since part 3 is forthcoming!
🐦⬛ From ’s post “Don’t Move in Silence, Move in Power”
I attended Ayana’s Worldbuilding workshop a few weeks ago and its been on my mind ever since. I was captivated by this post, where they unpack what “Audacious desire” looks like, drawing from Audre Lorde and Octavia Butler. Check out this post for some powerful affirmations. I have noticed my approach to being online has shifted because of the workshop and a desire for my words to connect to the lineage of Black feminist writings while resisting the urgency shaped by capitalism.
🐦⬛ Tell me why stays writing wor(l)ds to live in
This is yet another post that reflects on a different Audre Lorde Essay, “Poetry Is Not a Luxury,” while reflecting on the style, embodiment and musical genius that is Janelle Monae. The Janelle Monae look influenced me a lot, as I reached for a style of mostly B&W for a period of time. This post also reminds me of a Lorde quote from A Burst of Light, "The tensions created inside me by the contradictions is another source of energy and learning. I have always known I learn my most lasting lessons about difference by closely attending the ways in which the differences inside me lie down together.”
🐦⬛ A word from , my colleague in softness
Need I say more? I am trying not to overextend myself in this season and appreciated this reminder. A post of his I loved recently was a reflection on the “seat of Toni,” and the work of EbonyJanice in All the Black Girls Are Activists. But we perch on the lines for that one soon in “I could care less, pt. 3.”
🪶 ✨Buy me a feather.
Trying out a new thing: I will make a feather for every gift (regardless of amount) on Buy Me a Coffee. These feathers will help me have a visual reminder of this supportive community. Right now, I have a goal of collecting 220 feathers ($1,100) in order to pay off medical bills. Here are my most recent feathers to fall into the jar:
🐦⬛ Landing Tracks:
Sharing is caring…unless you need to brood a bit and re-emerge when you’re ready. These prompts are meant to be taken in at your leisure. Your reflection is yours to keep and share with when and where you want to.
As you take in these quotes, consider
Join the “Stay Sensitive” subscriber chat. How many feathers does it take to soften the fall?
🐦⬛ Locked In BIPOC writing community and Unlocked newsletter
Locked In is a writing group for Black, Indigenous, and Writers of Color/the global majority on Substack. We currently write together on Fridays at 9am EST, with new times rolling out as our community grows.
All are welcome to subscribe to Unlocked | BIPOC Reads to enjoy some curated posts featuring work from members of the Locked In community! Our latest is out today!
Congratulations on your new job! I remember the weight that was lifted off my shoulders when I finally found a role after prolonged unemployment. I'm so happy for you!
As I was reading the landing tricks I couldn't help but hear laughter within me. As if I don't take things in at my leisure, but rather let things roll over me - as if your call to consider was met with a brickwall of habitual inaction. Nothing is funny when I can't be my own change. Thank you for the thought provocation.