Tag Archives: spiritual health

fire now #30Days

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you got me on repeat
part of the healing
healing needed now
because we bleed rivers
trigger spots inflamed
not my place to critique
myself or you on these wounds
as we are both on fire
running towards diesel
not my place to critique
you or myself on nerves exposed
as we are both sensualists
epicures of the erotic
wrapped in blankets of flames
caught up in the winds of distance
fed by cherry petals
carrying promises
whispers of sanguine nectar

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epicures of the erotic

free spirited #30Days

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53 years
free spirited Black woman
through
decades of shaming
decades of gaslighting
for it yes
but
live long enough
you won’t care
just be concerned for
and have empathy for
others
not just yourself
but also
not without yourself.

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Dr. Cherie Ann Turpin aka
free spirited Black woman

Liberation Libation #30Days

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3 am message
changing towards
truth in existence
pain in such freedom
knowing
we free ourselves
as we accept
love

corona dream loop #30Days

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i
am
chasing moonbeams at night
evading sunbeams at day
evading moonbeams at night
chasing sunbeams at day
until
i
awaken

Soundcheck: getting better and healing old injuries

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A poem is coming.
But first, a revelation as I heal and  recover more personal power…

2014-08-30 19.47.10

Soundcheck.
Most of my adult life I allowed people to tell me what my boundaries, needs, and spaces are or should be, what or who I should allow close to me, how I should react–mostly at my expense, emotionally and otherwise.
Black women are pressured into participating in our own gaslighting for the good of the collective, and those of us who question this way of thinking are perceived as troublesome or at the least hostile.  When silence prevails, boundaries, needs, and spaces are not respected or met.
I wanted to break that cycle.   It is one of the biggest reasons why I am, once again, back into therapy.
I am speaking of when communication is not happening, when consent and respecting boundaries, needs, and spaces are not being discussed or negotiated with regard to gaining and developing emotional access and intimacy.
As Black women we have the right to negotiate our own boundaries, as well as our own needs and spaces despite living in an environment that privileges men, particularly men with race and social class privilege.
Further, consent is not just about sexual contact, and  I am not talking about sex in this brief discussion.
Consent means mutually respecting boundaries, needs, and spaces when it comes to gaining and developing emotional access and intimacy.  It is also about people speaking up and speaking in a manner that is honest and free of passive-aggressive diction.
Finally, it is also about respecting each other’s humanity through communicating.
In short, do not assume I have or have not given consent.
Ask me.  Discuss it.  Negotiate consent as a reasonable person.
Ask questions and engage in discussion.  Challenge assumptions, and engage in discussions about mutual and different boundaries, needs, and spaces.
I refuse to play into others’ assumptions about me or other human beings, so please provide that same opportunity to me and others.
Communication is key in building respect and trust, and so is practicing consent.
Hear my voice.
IMG_8722 Dr. Cherie Ann Turpin