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