The Role Of The Artist Is To Load The Gun

Inspired by Ismatu Gwendolyn’s post entitled ‘The role of the artist is to load the gun’ from her Threadings newsletter

Choose your weapon

and as you weep,

pick each bullet carefully.

Load the gun with your anger

and feel the rush as you pass the gun

to the masses.

Shoot with the precision

of your ancestors.

As they remember the taste

of their blood in the coloniser’s mouth.

Smile as you hear the Empire’s last breath. Bow down after and

pray to the Divine.

Giving thanks for the

taste of victory on each tooth.

True freedom is upon us.

Worship freedom like she deserves.

Say her name in each breath.

Feel her kindness every time you smile.

Venerate the martyrs that will come.

Bury your current pleasures

next to the promise of death.

Reserve the sorrow in between

your legs that will come when

it starts to smell like rotten flesh.

The suffering will feel eternal.

As death waves at you, learn to

hug the love in between your community’s lungs.

Refuse to let go. Attach your soul

to it every time you taste

the weight of the sadness in your tears.

The worse part is yet to come.

Not everyone will survive.

You may soon join the ancestors.

But if you endure,

the streets will be coated in love

and the gates of heaven will

suddenly become earthly.

Each step will lighten

as the world’s joy returns

& the Divine smiles at us.

So tonight make sure you say a prayer.

and tomorrow

Load the gun.