At first glance, I’m sure you were thinking, oh, another post about the power of women. And yes, I almost went there. But while looking for inspiration, I went back to the book “Soul of a Nation in the Age of Black Power.”
The book led me to written works by Larry Neal, Amiri Baraka, and then Sonia Sanchez. I’ve heard about Sanchez but never really immersed myself in her poetry.
Seriously! What took me so long? Why didn’t someone smack me in the head with one of her books and force me to read her work? I’m mesmerized by her words and her delivery. I went to YouTube and could not stop going from video to video to listen to her.
One of her poems was in the series “Lovecraft Country,” which I base this post on. I remember the scene, but the imagery left me breathless; I didn’t hear her voice reciting “Catch the Fire.”
In Catch the Fire, she asks a simple question, “Where’s your fire? I say, where is your fire?"
This next piece by Dwayne "DOOGA" Royall is a perfect complement to the poem.
I’ve been burning sage (to rid negative energy) and palo santo (to attract positive energy). It’s something about the smoke rising and surrounding me. It centers my mind and allows me to focus.
The subject in the painting reminds me of myself standing with my sage, feeling like I’m repelling the negative thoughts and energy. Trying to find “my fire.”
"Cleanse" is the second black and white painting that I’ve acquired from DOOGA. I love his use of black and white paint along with white space. All of the focus is on the subject. The lighting and shadowing on her body are perfect; you can see her skin's muscle tone and smoothness.
Check out the latest work by DOOGA. He’s working on some new pieces that, to me, are reminiscent of the late artist Basquiat.
As I close this post, ask yourself, "where is your fire?"
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