When I said, We are imprisoned…

When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I meant we have a hard time dreaming.
We drink too much poison
because we don’t know where to find water
Holy water
Cleansing water
Water that will cure our thirst
for Life.

When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I was talking about the way
we see justice as one of two things:
being locked in a box of shame
or executed
by a system that set us up to fail.

When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I meant we can’t move
that we are binded by binaries
of gender & race & political parties
that we are taught to take what is
as all that can be.
See, they want us to believe we’ve lost our vision.
They want us to feel blind.
They don’t understand
that the Wonder of Stevie
is how the light shines from his mind
that a genius is only a human
who recognizes his gift
& then puts in the work to lift up himself
so he can shine light on his brothers
so they can mine their own wealth
so they can unshackle confusion
& start improving their health.
Because the poison we’ve taken
is designed to destroy.
First a thousand small knife wounds
from our feet to our neck,
then we’re covered with hatred
that is meant to infect.

But we don’t have to believe we’re out here all alone.
We’ve got healers among us.
They can knit broken bones.
They put us back together.
They’ve got balm for our wounds.
If you let them, they’ll teach you
how thorns are removed.
If you let them, they’ll teach you
to open your eyes.
If you let them, they’ll teach you
it’s all right when you cry
that’s how the toxins leave you,
it helps to clean out your mind.

When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I was talking about the exhaustion
that makes your bones hurt.
That exhaustion that makes you believe
that you are weak, that you need to sleep
& when you do fall to sleep, you don’t even dream
& if you do, it’s a nightmare
mixed with reality.
I know that you’re tired,
but the cure isn’t sleep.
In fact, sleep is the poison
that is keeping you weak.
Sleep is the poison that is keeping you weak.
Sleep isn’t dreaming.
Sleep is just sleep.

You see, When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I was implying we need to get up out of prison.
But first, we need to understand
What this prison really is,
How this prison was built
& more importantly why this prison was built.
This prison isn’t any ordinary prison.
This prison does not discriminate for any reason.
It does not matter what color your skin is
or with what gender you identify.
This prison just added bars to the Tower of Babel.
This is a very diverse prison.
So, imagine.
Imagine what it would be like for
The community that is chained up inside
To co-exist lovingly outside this prison.

You see, when we say,
“We have a duty to fight for our freedom,”
This is what we are talking about.
When we say,
“We have a duty to win,”
This is what we are talking about.
When we say,
“We must love each other & support each other,”
This is what we are talking about.
When we say,
“We have nothing to lose, but our chains.”
When we say,
“We have nothing to lose, but our chains!”
This is exactly what we are talking about.

When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I was talking about that Voice that tells you, No.
That Voice saying, Don’t say that,
They don’t want to hear your idea.
That Voice saying you don’t belong there.
You don’t belong out there.
You don’t belong with them
You don’t have the right color skin.
That’s the Voice keeping you In.
The Voice doesn’t want you Out.
The Voice wants you.
The Voice wants you to doubt
that you deserve freedom,
that you deserve to feel loved,
that you deserve to experience the Wonder
that these sisters & brothers have to offer,
that you can support them
*without stealing from them
You see, if you do this
You will gain life
You will gain their support
You will start to feel free.

When I said, We are imprisoned
by a lack of imagination,
I did not mean that’s the way it has to be,
but we have to wake up enough to want to be free.
We have to wake up enough to want to be free.
We must listen & learn & act like we’re free.

Tonight, I’ve been thinking what it means to believe
that the first shall be last
& the last ones shall lead.
We are all in this struggle
& we all need to be heard,
but will you learn to be humble—
& give up the last word?
Take a minute
& step back
Take a minute
& Breathe.
Be quick to listen,
Slow to anger,
Slow to speak.
Together, we’re stronger when we open our eyes
& we learn to go farther when we organize.
when we let go of our doubt
& we let go of our fear
& we start falling in love
with the freedom right here.