The Word, The Stars and Prayer…
By Sheena Dennise
One thing I know for sure…
Is that I cannot be rushed
Or motivated
To move my body to a beat
That doesn’t honour my heart
Or invest in a thing
That isn’t right for me
Then be shamed for it
I have been shamed for centuries
Will it stop me now?
Will it be the death of me?
I navigate darkness and speak little

I move steathily
Much to the wonderment of you
I have been careful not to disturb
Your equilibrium
To only show you what I thought
You, me, we could handle
But perhaps it is time to tell you
How I have survived:
I trusted my own wisdom
Often in the face of pressure
Often against a dominant force
Often standing ALONE with Spirit/God
In virtually every endeavour,
It has always been ME who believed
Often it was ONLY me who believed
I am innately committed to humility,
Self correction and autonomy
Because God, The Universe & Spirit
Has divined my life in such a way that
I was compelled to source tools
Like a compass to help me find my way because
My wisdom is my medicine
I have been given the gift of faith
To understand how faith works
Can only be experienced, LIVED
Viscerally understood that FAITH
Is a personal practical practice
Not an abstract notion
To be in places and situations
Where you, me, we have had no choice
No sovereignty
No shoulder
No mouth
No voice
No ear
Where I have had to guide myself
In dark room after dark room
Outright refusal after outright refusal
To seek a “Yes, I see what you see”
To support a conscious mind
And persistent soul
A sorceress, untamed and
Left to her own devices
Here I am.
Ever rising, ever listening
Stepping forward with presence
The Word, The Stars and Prayer…
That you, we, me…
Are paying attention

Smoke and mirrors manifest confusion
Truth strikes a chord and invites
You, me, we to dive deeper
Sit with it longer
Sit with ourselves
And our collective future