Don't Be Late To The Revolution

It's already started

I come with good news, and more proof to back up the title of this article. See other posts like Spiritual Anarchist - I Saw God In Their Eyes - and Prison Break if you’d like further proof that the algorithms feeding everyone end of days doom porn are LIES.

Also - scroll to the bottom of this post for videos of spoken word poetry from the event.

Is the world wild right now? YES. Let us remember the Law of Polarity - there is an equal opposite to everything. Think of how unstable or hopeless the world seems right now - now imagine the opposite.

Yes, that exists, and it is emerging in places you wouldn’t expect. You have to unplug from the machine and go into the real world to find it. Today, I will show you more of what “doesn’t sell” in the algorithm ghettos - may you hold tight to it and use it as a guide when all feels lost. Wherever you live, may you find the community and connection you deserve.

The Revolution Has Already Started.

Let’s simply start by identifying an underlying existential threat and the solution:

Disconnection and Connection.

Disconnection is death, leaving the individual and society wide open for any and all nefarious forms of infiltration. This is proven over and over again throughout millennia and we see it happening now. When you have disconnection, you have the ability to manifest anything on the negative side - insert every form of horror and atrocity here.

Connection? Connected people cannot be controlled. Connected people are fulfilled. They take care of themselves and each other, they are a community of interdependent individuals. Therefore, there is no need to outsource every facet of life to an outside entity who has never had their interest at heart (government being a great example).

You likely already know all of this, but in short, we see the degradation and attack on humanity all the time. That’s because in order to make everyone subjugated mechanical “cattle” - they have to be divided, they have to be afraid, they have to be lonely.

The very tool I’m using to share this information with you now is a concerning one, because for most people it’s no longer a tool - they live here, in a fake world.

Why does that matter? It changes the neuropathways in your brain, for starters.

The ability to connect, socialize and form bonds is something that requires proper functioning of the brain. If you don’t use it, you lose it - we are changing our brain chemistry and losing our ability to connect because those neural pathways are not being used. This (internet, apps, incessant screen time) is NOT a substitute for real life.

You know how it’s common knowledge that porn changes your brain chemistry, causing sexual/relational dysfunction and a host of other issues? Okay, same thing with having the majority of human interaction and information being exchanged electronically. This doesn’t apply to everyone obviously, but it applies to the majority, which is a huge driver in disconnect - the thing we need to move away from.

Now, let’s get into the story, where showing up IRL continues to reveal more than just hope:

The magic I am here to tell you about - the I Am Poetry Show

Me, another friend/poet/musician Raquel, her daughter and her daughters friend drove to the I Am Poetry Show / Open Mic in Tampa. I hadn’t been before but I knew it looked mad dope. Super intimate vibe, fire pit, outside seating, vendors, good food - what reason would anyone have to not be there immediately?

You can check out the website here and you can check out the I Am Poetry instagram here (@IAmPoetry.Shop) - owned and founded by Poet, Author and Producer Everkesia Taylor. She has published six poetry books and two poetry albums, and I will tell you right now, this event that is hosted monthly in Tampa is NOT your typical open mic - not even close.

We drove through a double rainbow on the way up - hard to see the second one here but this proved to be an omen that went above and beyond

As soon as we arrived, I was reminded again of the parallel societies, community builders, the agorists, etc. that I’d been around before when living in Tennessee. We have all these names for it now, but really what “it” is, is NORMAL - human beings having a connected society.

The event was held at The Well, a family owned community wellness center and pharmacy. I haven’t seen anything like that in…. probably a decade. Everything is all CVS, Walgreens, and shitty doctors offices - so, already that was dope.

The area was so beautiful. I will show you so you can see for yourself. Delicious (local) food was cooked onsite and there were several local vendors which gave the vibe of a tiny farmers market.

Already, dope, and the show hadn’t started yet; people still arriving and the sun was still out.

When it did start though… holy shit.

I have some footage but not much - the majority of video and pictures was taken by the I Am Poetry team which will be available via their social media.

I’ve been to quite a few events, shows, and open mics in my day. Never in my life have I seen such a raw honest display of humanity - some of us were there for our first time, others I imagine are regulars - yet somehow, we all gathered and discussed some of the most gnarly things people grapple with in life through poetry and music (yes there is live music at this event too!)

THIS right here is what creates a magic that cannot be captured with words. You have to be there to experience it. This is our humanity, and we’ve been deprived of it for so long that can feel like an out of body experience when it’s reintroduced.

This is where I’ll insert yet another reminder - wherever you are, FIND your local community *in*real*life* - go to the events, they are there. If you have to travel a little ways, who cares, do it.

The Artists

Disclaimer: Every human being is an artist

The feeling I had when the first poet went up was similar to what I felt at the Kerouac house last month - like something was reaching inside me and squeezing me out like a sponge, purging pent up emotions that one is not normally conscious of.

Then it increased. The second poet went up and holy shit. Starting to hold back tears. Already got choked up with the first guy.

Then a third poet comes up.

You know when you hear someone share a traumatic event they’ve gone through (which also happens to be one you went through) and the way they describe it is identical to yours? You know how that can save your life because you are reminded you are not alone in a seemingly hopeless and often lethal scenario?

Yes - it was all that and then some, and thank God for that. Thank God for her bravery and the community that held space for it.

For those who think that isn’t revolutionary, I will tell you this: When I got clean from heroin, I did it alongside a LOT of other recovering addicts. Do you want to know what snapped me out of that “terminal uniqueness shame spiral” that causes everyone who relapses to relapse? Hearing other people share their story - because it was the same story as mine. THAT is what snaps you out of the illusion of isolation and creates connection.

Also, we live in a society that keeps people silenced. This has catastrophic effects that reverberate through generations. It has to stop somewhere. To have a space to be able to speak out about these things is absolutely a revolution from the cult of silence we’re all familiar with.

I hope the almost 15 years of continuous sobriety I have is a testament to how effective honest sharing in community settings is. Many of us would be dead without it.

I was up next, and holy shit. I did have tears come out of my face with the poet who went up before me. The first thing that came out of my mouth … well I may actually have it on video hold on.

Alright, so you get it.

It was a privilege to get to perform “Walking Each Other Home” and “Algorithm Ghetto” - but I’m not here to talk about that. What stuck out to me was exactly what I said in that video. The raw, vulnerable and brave display of humanity, the human resilience, the human spirit — shit gets real at poetry events but this was above what you’d typically see.

Person after person (this trend continued) was laying out some heavy, yet very real shit. In short, this was a night of healing. I don’t know if any of us had that intention, but that’s what happened.

Healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum, we need one another - and this is why things like open mics where everyone can participate are necessary to a healthy society - this is how we move energy that we aren’t even allowed to admit we are carrying in the false reality, the machine. People are effectively breaking out of the matrix and healing in real time through these events.

BTW, History Was Made Tonight:

My friends daughter performed one of her poems. She is 12 years old.

She absolutely blew me away with what she read… then Everkesia came on the mic afterwards and told us that never in the history of an I Am Poetry event has a poet that young performed. Most of us were between age 20 and 40, but 12?

Can we pause for a minute here, because last month at the Kerouac house I spoke about the unbelievable power and hope for humanity that radiated off of a 16 year old poet who showed up and spoke her truth.

The fact that we have spaces for the young generation to do this can be the difference between life and death. The fact that we have kids that are often displaying more self-awareness than 80% of their elders - WHAT? This is incredible news. This is SO MUCH hope for humanity.

This is the engine of the future. We hear about the bad all the time, but THIS? I do not know if I have seen something that powerful when it comes to the young ones.

Connection is the Antidote to Addiction

Let me tell you something that happened at the end of this event:

I am a cigarette smoker, have been for a LONG time. First cigarette was at 12 years old. Yes, I am quitting, but I’m not quit yet. My quit deadline is October, so let me enjoy the last few weeks of Newport smoke in my lungs before I recommit to life, but check this out:

The event ended, but there was a raffle at the end - the 12 year old girl won! (I am not saying her name because she’s 12 and this is the internet) She got to go pick out a bunch of clothes from the I Am Poetry booth. When we were walking out, well I’d been in an event for three hours (no cigs) and on the drive up I drove up with Raquel and the kids, so obviously no smoking on the drive up. You’d think I’d be jonesing like crazy.

Weirdly enough, I wasn’t. I still automatically thought to go smoke a cig, but I saw the two kids at the merch booth and was like… no. I don’t smoke in front of kids. However, they became occupied with picking out merch, so I easily could have gone to the parking lot and smoked out of sight. I almost did it.

Then, something told me, “Don’t miss this.”

I was watching the youngest poet to have ever performed at this event not only win a raffle afterwards but get to pick out a jumpsuit, hat and t-shirt that reads “I Am Poetry” - and she IS poetry. How could I miss something like that, for a fkng cigarette? Man, hell no!

So, I didn’t smoke. I didn’t wind up smoking until I was back at my car on the way to my house. That was easily 5 or 6 hours without a cigarette, and if you’re a smoker and have been for most your life, you know that is batshit insane. Again, wasn’t jonesing either. Why would that be? It’s not like the nicotine suddenly decided to stop being the most addictive substance on earth.

Connection, that’s why.

I was connected enough to the magic of life that it overrided any instinct or habit built around escaping it.

Imagine if we all started doing this more. HO-LY-SHIT.

If just three hours at an event can fill me with joy, help me purge trapped emotions, feel free and grateful and safe, build connections with other people, and watch a young poet make history and see the bright light of the future of humanity within that moment alone — what would happen if we all decided to go to these events more?

If three hours at that event equals 5 to 6 hours of not needing nicotine when normally I smoke on the hour every hour? What!?

That’s a loaded question, because I think we all can start to conceive of how it has the power to change everything.

The people who host events like these deserve infinite flowers and salutes. Creating spaces where anyone can come and bare their soul to others is… wow.

THIS is revolution. Why?

Because NOTHING will progress in a positive direction if we don’t get re-connected to one another and to ourselves, that is why.

Nothing will be accomplished if we do not heal. You cannot fix a problem with the same mind that either created it or adapted to it.

We all have healing to do - there is no revolution without healing.

And the healing is going on. The connection is going on. The expression and truth telling is GOING ON. It is the total opposite of the anti-human, sociopathic, ruthless soul-sucking shit that has people checking out left and right. This is MEDICINE.

The phrase “Your Medicine is in Your Shadow” was brought to life. That is exactly what happened. Turns out, our shadows are REAL similar. Turns out, our medicine is REAL similar.

Alright, I’ll share with you Substackians some footage I have, the rest you can find later or on the I Am Poetry IG account. There were singers, rappers, and TONS of poets - I have some footage from me and some from Supernatural Raquel - not sure how much substack will let me put in one article:

Raquel AKA Supernatural Raquel did two poems and they are BEAUTIFUL. If you want to follow her poetry, writing and music, tap in with her on Instagram @SupernaturalRaquel or at this link here.

Me and Supernatural Raquel before the show started