Well. Like Ceelie said, we here
a poem, and a few other nice lil' ~things~
Good morning/evening/afternoon!
Are you tired, too? I find that many of us today are tired, or suffering, or both. But like Ceelie said, we here.
Navigating capitalism, actively caring about community and the world in tangible ways. Being human in that we can only be one place at a time, though our minds be everywhere at once. I hope you’re finding time for stillness. In the meantime, I’d like to leave you all with just a few things I hope bring you a smile or a good lil’ feeling. Enjoy.
we’re monthly now, friends
JASPER, a black pansy mag will officially have monthly posts. We started out bimonthly. It was a lovely way for me to hold myself accountable amid freelance work. But now yer boi is full time and still freelance simultaneously. So this is a new era. I thank you all for your flexibility as I figure out a new way of existing here.
In the meantime, if you’re craving more, there's always…
A few recommendations
The Vince Staple’s Show on Netflix is one of the most honest pieces of art I’ve had the pleasure to witness in a long, long time.
Finally got around to listening to Meshell Ndegeocello’s latest album, The Omnichord Real Book and I am moved. Dreamy, jazzy, smooth. Inspired. There’s a chance you'll be moved, too.
I highly recommend The Classroom and the Cell, a poignant podcast between educator, anthropologist, and journalist Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and revolutionary and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
For more of recs check out my most recent Favorite Things Round-Up.
My book: Updates!
Currently working on final edits for PANSY: A BLACK AMERICAN MEMOIR, coming to you October 22nd, 2024. Very excited to drop that cover image on y’all real soon, like soon-soon. So stay tuned!
A poem (in its earliest draft, just for you)
Tree
Y’all I’m tall
I’m so tall
you can’t even tell where I begin and where I
end
I’m rooted in the ground
shooting up like a weed
I’m running up the sides of your
psyche
I’m living large and
in charge and
one time a good friend told me
I got a tall
tall
personality
they said
you remind me of a tree
so old
so wise
y’all
I wanna be like that
tree
I wanna
bark up your
tree
I wanna
meet more like me
I wanna
stand in the forest with
my people one day and
look around and say
y’all
we so tall
Thank you all, as always, for your time and care. Leave a comment below if you have anything you’d like to share.
Love,
Jasper 🌸
Tree has the right ideas, where do I sign?
Love the poem! And The Vince Staple Show is so good!