Transposing

Abstract

This poem was written as a meditation on care and upholding abolition values such as building safety and repairing what is in need of revolution. Within arm’s reach of a more healthful narrative, the poem describes a person who sees the world burning, and remains committed to tending to her hopeful heart and others. It is shared here to archive a remarkable moment of recognition between two artists. The story is that, while in attendance at a virtual Black community circle a few years ago, my friend, Lily, shared her collage artwork, one among them titled, Spilling Out. This image among many spectacular pieces immediately struck my spirit. It prompted me to recall a poem I had written several months before. In the spirit of call and response, I offered this poem to her and my community, extending the metaphor of spilling out, shifting contexts, and sparking dialogue on what it means for us in practice to transpose and change places in our respective fields. Lily Nimo Ngaruiya is a Black, Kenyan-American, queer artist, educator, and Black liberation seeker. Lily’s watercolor collage pieces reflect the emotionality of Black womanhood and the journey of exploring her own fears and desires. Each image selected is rooted in her own intuition—restructuring, revising, and reimagining until the world within her piece feels complete. Through images, textures, and patterns, Lily aims to create a universe for Black femmes to exist fully. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.