A big thank you to Areon for being the next entry of Birds of a Feather! Thank you so much for being comfortable sharing your story and contributing to our journey of self-discovery. This one is truly special since all of the entries for my blog have been written in the traditional paragraph style. I know firsthand how challenging it was to publish my first entry, so it is an honor for me to have Areon a part of this and allow her to step out of her comfort zone!~Cheyenne
Hi Cheyenne’s Blog family! My name is Areon, and I’m a current college student. In all honesty, writing this piece of work was initially a challenge, since I haven’t been really confident in writing skills since highschool. I was going to do a standard entry, but it just didn’t work for me. So, I decided to be as raw and transparent as possible, and I only really know how to do that through poetry ( it’s mad corny I know). I’m not going to title this piece, it’s completely up to interpretation.
My spirit actually allowed me to cry today
I cried for all the soldiers whose cries fall on deaf ears
I cried for Breonna
I saw myself crying for my family to remain calm
I saw myself crying to the heavens for help
I felt my airways tighten & clench
I felt the fatal grasp of a blue grip
& Suddenly everything went black
Suddenly the world around me became still
I no longer cried for soldiers as they whaled
I no longer cried for Breonna whose energy I felt
I no longer saw the tears that flooded my sister’s eyes
I no longer saw the naive black girl begging for another chance at this life
& Suddenly in this darkness, I could see
Suddenly even with the stillness, I could think
I cry for the soldiers whose pleading is reflected in my speech
I cry for the Breonnas who wake up on this day and can breathe
I see myself being the 10 toes to this family tree
I see myself crying only at the expense that my people succeed
I feel the lightness of a mute black girl who can finally speak
I feel the love that only a village can teach
& Suddenly
I discovered that in this still, empty, darkness
We find peace
~Areon