Poet, writer, artist and entrepreneur Dasha Kelly is the founder of the arts program Still Waters Collective which utilizes creative writing and spoken word to shape confidence and leadership with youth across southeastern Wisconsin. She has performed on HBO’s Def Jam and her writings have been published in anthologies, text books, magazines, and online. She will be performing tonight in DC at Spit Dat, the acclaimed open mic series that recurs each Thursday at Emergence Community Arts Collective (ECAC), 733 Euclid Street, NW. Below is an excerpt from her poem “Home Alone”. ..
Except from “Home Alone” by Dasha Kelly
When I’m alone, in my mirror, I make myself promises
I promise more movies, fewer emails, longer baths, new words
I promise to keep my heart in my left hand, so it can be free
but I can still keep watch, such a rambunctious thing
Some of these are promises in progress
I make them all in good faith
I am good faith when I’m alone
I am peace when I’m alone
I am beautiful
I am wise
I am gentle
I am quiet
So surprisingly quiet
I am listening to the murmur, moaning and meandering of my thoughts
I am floating when I’m alone
I am smearing foodstuffs on my face and in my hair
I am flossing and exfoliating
Peering into the eyes of the anxious preteen who refuses to leave me
I am welcoming a new face that is mine, but not really
I spend a lot of time in the mirror, these days
An exercise that feels exactly like prayer