Nikki Giovanni.

on accidental rituals + the power of poetry

Last year, on Wednesday, January 11th, I wrote a poem inspired by Nikki Giovanni.

Today, I watched a documentary about her and wrote another one.

Without even meaning to, I have made the second Wednesday of January my own personal Nikki Giovanni day. It’s funny how we intuitively craft these rituals. No gregorian calendars needed to remember, just a spirit-driven instinct.

There’s something about Black Gemini poets — I listen to them, and parts of them become embedded within me. I am a living altar for their genius, their complexities, and their memory. I think for that reason alone, I deserve to live free.

I am sacred ground.