for Brother Marcellus Williams – may he know life in death

a cicada whispers in my ear; some days he speaks of rains as glistening as a dragonfly’s wing as tremendous as the hurricanes they precede. some days of a song only he can attune and only he can produce. this day he spoke of woes,

only of sal’water rain dripping down ruddy cheeks– a stream of grief indistinguishable from the great delta, for a soul eased by Zion’s isle. a place born from their plethora of goodwill in this life, simply by the pursuit of it.

shilombish so loved, he seeped into paradise everlasting; the next of our angels and guides. a cicada whispers songs of souls a’flight and brown eyes lower their gaze at the knowledge of his peace overflowing.

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ju(mia) is an educator, xtender, rootworker, and intuitive artist from the deep south tending unceded Lisjan Ohlone land in Oakland. raised on a lineage of land work, they are passionate about community-led projects that bridge Black and Indigenous praxes of life, love, and reverence. juju embraces visual arts and oral storytelling & medicine-sharing as a way of understanding their heritage and holding global solidarity struggles across the diaspora. you can find them by asking around; they are likely drinking tea.