All poetry is political. Let’s get that out of the way first. For me, poetry is an avenue for political protest and bearing witness. With my unique lens as a lawyer and political operative, I believe in storytelling as a means of affecting change. Maya Angelou said that there “is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” At a time when forces choose to pick at the historical scabs of inequity and injustice, we must bear witness! We must say loudly: we’re here! And use the language of seeing and telling as a means of strengthening our communities and advocating for our fellow people.
In my own work, I consider aspects of diaspora dislocation, estranging inheritance, the decentering of self, distance, rupture, and restlessness. Ultimately, poetry is important because it challenges convention and introduces unruliness, boundlessness, borderlessness as a means of reclaiming power and enacting change.
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