“Okay, I need to put this out there:
“Sacramento represented itself so well out in San Diego, at the California Democratic Convention. I’m beyond honored to even be mentioned with any of these people.
“I’ve said it before, repeatedly, and I’ll keep saying it: the youth poets in our city are the most amazing poets we have. There are so many hearts waiting for permission to open up and perform or create the art that’s truly within them.
“We have a 17 year old poet representing us, alone, tomorrow out here and I have nothing but faith in her ability to open the hearts of everyone who hears her voice. Like, she absolutely made a new fan out here – and I’m so certain I’m far from the last one.
“I understand why stagnation and the ‘no’ syndrome happens, but it’s bullshit.
“Speak your words. Paint your canvas. Craft your music. Never be afraid to Be who you are deep in your heart. If you express honestly, they will always feel you – even the fakest ones who are listening and watching
“We love you, out here. Knock yourself alive with the truth within you.
“Si, se puede.
“Yes, you can.”
Also David Loret de Mola (below, pointing at me) ended up starting a “Let’s all chant” chant.
So I flew to San Diego to go get guerrilla with some of my favorite poets at the California Democratic Convention.
Yeah. They invited us to come and yell poems at politicos. What a wild life.
Sacramento, your poets left love, sweat, and tears on the floors and sidewalks of that convention in by far the most unwelcoming environment I’ve ever performed in.
That was one of the hardest artworks that I have ever been a part of creating. Rigorous passion and tenacious dedication on behalf of David Loret de Mola, Grace Loescher, Jeanette Sem, Farah Billah, Kali Ausselet, and Danielle Shavonne.
We started out yelling poems at people, and by today (yesterday now, sorry. Haven’t slept since yesterday at 7am). We realized … There are enough people yelling. There aren’t enough loving. And you should have seen how the energy and reception changed when we started loving folks instead of just yelling poems at them. I know we all needed that lesson. I think the rest of humanity could benefit from it.
Danielle Shavonne – a 16 year old queen from Sacramento — was on stage at the general session in front of thousands of policy makers being truth, light, and love. TELL EM.
Planned Parenthood’s ‘Break the Silent Disco’
You can doubt magic if you want. It doesn’t need your belief to exist.
Sacramento you should be proud of your poets. I just can not say enough about these warriors … but luckily I don’t have to ’cause they know.
Thank you Planned Parenthood. And thank you Sol Collective for being the cultural hub of our city and constantly working to create space and uplift artists with messages of community empowerment by any means necessary. None of us would be here without you.
—andru defeye
Flommist Andru Defeye is the Guerrilla Poet Laureate of Sacramento. Copyright © 2018 Andru Defeye.
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