Liberation

My ancestors are proud today

Today I embodied black girl magic—building a hearth of creativity from the ashes of burnout

Today I sang in the key of black boy joy—freeing every note from captivity like bubbles in the wind

I danced triumphant in a way foreign to their weary incarnated bodies

But innate to the fabric of their souls

Today I danced naked in the shower

I flopped the fullness of my breasts to the beat of the drum

I twirled as rivulets of water found new tributaries in the rolls of my back

I dried my skin off in the soft plushness of gratitude

And I’ll do it again tomorrow and for all the tomorrows to come.

And perhaps you’ll join me?

We’ll free our burdened shoulders with a shimmy

And vow to only sink to our knees in the act of getting loose and low

Making love our music and music our love