Sleeping light

Khalif Willams

Words & Pictures

of which some move
September 4

jamilwilliams:

‘World of Echo’ - Arthur Russell
July 8
I think he’s crying.

I think he’s crying.

June 25
“ Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself. Henry Miller (via quotesthatmakemeshiver) (via lovelygreenlight) (via out-of-my-dreams) (via booklover) (via tba)
June 18
March 9

music is life, changing.

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I woke up this morning, tired. My oldest son had a bloody nose during the night. We sat up together on the edge of his bed, figuring out how to make it quit, pressing and wiping until it was over. Bloody tissue next to the bed, we laid back down together and went to sleep. Throughout, he was so calm. So unconcerned with losing precious sleep. He just sat still next to me, stopping the blood with his small hand. Like he’d rather be nowhere else. Like it was all just perfect. And it was. I have so much to learn from him.

I woke up this morning, tired. My oldest son had a bloody nose during the night. We sat up together on the edge of his bed, figuring out how to make it quit, pressing and wiping until it was over. Bloody tissue next to the bed, we laid back down together and went to sleep.

Throughout, he was so calm. So unconcerned with losing precious sleep. He just sat still next to me, stopping the blood with his small hand. Like he’d rather be nowhere else. Like it was all just perfect.

And it was.

I have so much to learn from him.

March 6
We don’t have much time. And I waste so much of it. I eagerly follow thoughts of envy, fear, judgment, powerlessness, lack and uncertainty. Yet my entire life is suffused with peace, beauty, music, privilege, time, love, opportunity, awareness, kindness, plenty, stability. I’m sitting in the lap of god, oblivious. I hear my sleepless spirit whining, sniveling, lonely, tired, and resentful; thirsty in an ocean of milk. Not one more year wasted in fearful wanting. Not one more day of sad thoughts. Not one more moment of this. No more.

We don’t have much time. And I waste so much of it. I eagerly follow thoughts of envy, fear, judgment, powerlessness, lack and uncertainty. Yet my entire life is suffused with peace, beauty, music, privilege, time, love, opportunity, awareness, kindness, plenty, stability.

I’m sitting in the lap of god, oblivious. I hear my sleepless spirit whining, sniveling, lonely, tired, and resentful; thirsty in an ocean of milk.

Not one more year wasted in fearful wanting. Not one more day of sad thoughts. Not one more moment of this. No more.

January 28
Why blame the burden when you won’t untie the rope?

Why blame the burden when you won’t untie the rope?

January 22
First, with our language we make the world. Second, linguistics won’t save the planet, but it helps us out on the way. Ok. If we’re discussing ethnicity, geographic origin, skin color, let’s not get bogged down by the above ethnocentrist phrase. I know, I know. Lots of people on our side use it. It was coined by the good guys. MLK used it. It dates back to before the 1700s, etc. Ok, ok. But hear me out: This phrase was not brought into popular usage to communicate whether a person or group of people have a color or not. It’s only about one particular color. That color is brown. Dice it up anyway you want. Darken it, redden it, add some yellow. The color is brown the world ‘round. It’s the language of a divided culture that still sees pink/beige skin as the default setting for humanity. As a man with brown skin, I refuse to be grouped against Northern Europeans by my own language. I don’t believe that I was born with any indelible attribute that they don’t have. If they don’t have a color, no one does.

First, with our language we make the world. Second, linguistics won’t save the planet, but it helps us out on the way. Ok.

If we’re discussing ethnicity, geographic origin, skin color, let’s not get bogged down by the above ethnocentrist phrase. I know, I know. Lots of people on our side use it. It was coined by the good guys. MLK used it. It dates back to before the 1700s, etc. Ok, ok. But hear me out:

This phrase was not brought into popular usage to communicate whether a person or group of people have a color or not. It’s only about one particular color. That color is brown. Dice it up anyway you want. Darken it, redden it, add some yellow. The color is brown the world ‘round.

It’s the language of a divided culture that still sees pink/beige skin as the default setting for humanity.

As a man with brown skin, I refuse to be grouped against Northern Europeans by my own language. I don’t believe that I was born with any indelible attribute that they don’t have. If they don’t have a color, no one does.

January 16
“ Sustainability Begins and Ends with Social, Economic, & Ecological Justice for Every Child, Woman, Man, and Species on the Planet. Anon.