# data[].attributes.body
I am grateful for my hands, the digits that taper from wide knuckles into small half-moons, the soft hills of my palms that hold, and cradle, and clasp.

I am grateful for Chopin, for the patterns and rhythms on ivory, ebony, foot on pedals. For the hours of calls during commutes, tragedy, comedy, conflict, humor.

I am grateful for loose tea, the herbal steam on late nights, the jolt of caffeine through early mornings, the warmth of a home I never thought I could have. For the shared laughs, and the hugs, and the tears.

I am grateful for the beach, the grit of the sand between my shoes and the concrete, the wind off the bay cooling our sweat and guarding our secrets. For the taste of lime and tequila mixed with childhood stories and recent heartbreaks on our tongues.

# data[].attributes.headline
Things I would do if I were a Wizard (unfinished)

# data[].attributes.subject
Things I would do if I were a Wizard (unfinished)

# data[].attributes.body
If I were a wizard, I would make my mother love me.

I would wave my wand and smooth the worries from her face.

I would pour potions to open her eyes and let her see me.

I would consult the old magic to find ways to erase the scores and tallies that she keeps carved high on her walls.

I would craft golems and automatons to build a bridge across her defenses.

I would make bargains with djinns that control the winds to keep her comfortable, to make her hammock gently sway and fill the air with perfumes.

# data[].attributes.body
I am kind

I am beautiful

I am a child

And a triangle of soft silky fabric.

I am a question

And another

And another

And another.

I am scared

And vulnerable

And alone.

I am a god,

And a cosmic, creative entity.

I am alone in my room because I want to be.

I am singing worlds into existence.

I am quiet, so quiet my silence becomes a shout,

And only the wrong people hear.

I am small, so minuscule so as to not be seen lying on the floor,

Yet if you step on me, feel my sharp edges and corners digging into the tender flesh of your sole and know that I am there,

And know that I will not be broken by your foot, hand, words, actions.

# data[].attributes.body
Where do I begin?
For the last two years my life has felt like a rose tinted film
And i worry
When will this end?
Is it too perfect?
But is it perfect or am I just growing,
Learning,
Appreciating the hard bits
Because they create contrast
I am grateful for the people i have met
The lessons they have pushed me to learn
The perspectives they have given me like new prescription glasses
I am grateful for myself that I've been able to learn
Mostly learn how to get closer to myself
I am grateful for the night
When I have learnt the most;
The walks
The swims
The talks
The quiet
The dancing
And the dreams
And most of all my bed
Wherever that may be

# data[].attributes.body
Wind 🍃 warm, cold, strong, weak, depressive, fresh.
Sun 🌞 vitamin d, burn skin, tan skin, hope, dream in winter, life
Water 🌊 full of chlorine, full of minerals, freezing sea, hot shower, hydrating, pee
Soil 🌿 relaxing, preoccupying, for life and for death, for creation and destruction
My lovely dog 🐶 (Do I need to explain more?)

# data[].attributes.headline
Things I carry in my always lost suitcases

# data[].attributes.subject
Things I carry in my always lost suitcases

# data[].attributes.body
Things I need
- small toiletries to be a hygienic person
-clothes to cover my body and to hide my insecurities
-shoes, oh my poor shoes
-books (What are they for?)
-winter jacket. I would be dead without it
-medication. I would be dead without them
-documents that prove I'm a citizen of the world (I no longer belong anywhere)
-Memories, the heaviest ones of all

Things I don't need:
-An old mexican plastic bag
-Irish dance shoes
-A fat dog keyring my ex gave me
-Suitcases that always get lost

# data[].attributes.body
I am a person with an open wound.
I am an adjective, a verb and a noun.
I am a field full with treasure.
I am a kite that connect the sky and the world.
I am a cloud that vanishes with tear.
I am a wind that need to be seen with eyes closed.
I am a candle standing alone in the dark.
I am a boat that sleep in the middle of the ocean.
I am a jar full of blessings.
I am a blanket that hug with all I have.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a creature connected to the world with bare feet, toes curling in the grass

I am a silly being who likes to sit like a frog with a mischievous grin

I am a contradiction like still water

I am many puzzle pieces that i am still trying to fit together

I am a chameleon
I can blend into most places but always with colour

# data[].attributes.body
I am nature
I am a free soul
I am existence and beauty and strength
I am all the things my mother thinks of me
I am a construction of my friends
I am a bird contemplating the sunset
I am the steps on the mud
I am a bridge between worlds
I am whatever I am the second I think about it but I also am the person I used to be and the person I will become
I am others happiness and others struggles
I am the best human in the world for my dog
I am a friend you can rely on
I am a reflection of my family's struggles and victories
I am so many things and sometimes I don't want to be anything but a sleeping dog lying in the grass in a summer day.
I am and I am not
I don't know what I am
Who knows who am I?
Am I?
I?

# data[].attributes.body
I am an introvert -- a shadow walker easily spooked by spotlights

I am a protector -- denying sleep to ensure my loved ones are safe

I am assertive -- pushy and vocal when BS threatens, like a dark storm sky

I am creative -- inventing whatever I need, like a tree in bud

I am fearful -- shaky on new terrain

# data[].attributes.body
A mother bird who is always repairing wings
A sister who holds up the world
A cousin who flies across the province to hold a hand before surgery
The love of my life that only took 52 years to learn
The lover of all animals except worms, snakes, frogs and men who abuse women
The dream my mother once had about living to love and be loved and knowing the difference
The clumsy dancer who is too shy to dance and does it in secret because I love dancing
The lover of a good crisp potato chip
The gratuitous child of forgotten ceremonies
The believer of the universe taking care of us if I allow it and let Creator
Still searching for ways to heal for future generations so they do not have to suffer too
I am the prayers of my ancestors who died of a broken heart.
I am
I am
I am

# data[].attributes.body
I am

The dust that emerge from the stars

Bright like the rainbows

That glisten

On thunderbirds

Who bring sweet rain

That dances

I am

You mother

Who sings

Melodic songs and lyrics from my breasts

Who wipes tears

And sends the tears

To the soil

I am your auntie

Who cries with you

Hugs your spirit

And colors

Your Grey days

I am

A lover

Who strikes vibrant

Lighting

With thunder crashes

Listen, and you will hear

Like humming bird wings

That buzz

And flutter

I am the earth

Rooted with knowledge,

Stems and veins

Creations of many generations

I am strong with scars

Deep wounds

I am an artist

Creating from blood memory

I am my ancestors my ancestors are me

# data[].attributes.body
I am a Spoken Word Performer- Like a lion my voice booms, but through the mic as I share my words with an audience

I am an Artist- I love the arts and like Keke Palmer, I am a women of many creative talents. Unlike Keke who loves to act and sing, I love to write, draw and paint.

I am a Photographer- I love to take photos of the sky, the sun and the flowers around me

I am a Writer- Even though I doubt it sometimes. Writing a story is like getting a boulder up on a hill: It's hard but in the end it's worth it and you will be proud of yourself

I am a Black Woman - I may not know everything about my people's history and I may not experience racism on a daily basis like many black indivuals but I understand the reailty of what it means to be a black person in society.

I am a Canadian-Jamaican Women- From eating patties and banana chips, hearing family relatives speak to each other in patios and listening to reggae music, there is so much to celebrate of my culture and this is all thanks to my parents who are both from Jamaica.

# data[].attributes.body
I am Bengali
Liken to my people, my love to share food is grand

I am silly
Like a cat with a ball of yarn, I love to play

I am not funny
A deer in headlights, the look I get when I try to make you smile

I am an academic
Like a digital word doc, always looking for more contributors to my knowledge

I am slow
Tortoise and the hair taught me that is okay

I love people
Their souls, turned right -always a glimmer in my eyes

I am tired
Insides bare, true rest is when just meets present time.

I am not sure
Of anything really... Do we always have to be?

# data[].attributes.body
A plastic fork with a crooked prong that I got at a chip truck by my old place
A tire pressure gauge I picked up at Canadian Tire to express my independence as a single woman
A stack of Tim Horton's napkins because I always spill
A used blue surgical mask in case we need those again
A half empty lip balm melted to the bottom that I'm too indifferent to clean up

# data[].attributes.body
Guitar Picks - About 100 of them. Maybe one more than I actually need.

Button - A small button that in large letters reads “ANXIOUS”

A Keychain  - Small and wooden. Made by someone I love.

A Fidget Cube - For when paired with the anxious button, makes perfect sense.

A Small Red Wooden Hippo - A reminder that I have thoughtful friends who think to bring back trinkets from their busy trips

A Quarter - Not a special one by any means. I had no where else to put it and now this is where it belongs.

# data[].attributes.body
Here I need the morning pages journal
Journals for job applications, meditations, workplace analysis, health analysis, diet logs and more
A flashlight for emergencies
Old calculators, post-its and pens to help my brain analyze, store and retrieve information
Various coloured lipsticks to get ready for zoom calls
Lip balms to soothe dry lips as well
Also foot balms, healing balms, herbals balms and various balms from the herbalists and healers of the world in many regions
Kittens nail clippers and mine
Matchboxes and small candle holders to read and meditate under the stars in the evenings
Blessed easy reach drawer in studio apartment

# data[].attributes.body
Permanent markers for a project I did not start....yet
Old expired credit card I'm not sure I won't cut up
Old video camera that uses a mini DV which stores do not sell anymore
Loose change for me to hunt for on a God coffee run
Old UBC ID a beautiful memory of  a younger me, wasn't happy then but am now as I see the twinkle of innocence in the past
A stick of glue , not sure why it is even in there, not sure what to do with it, an ex once used my kids glue stick as chapstick
Old business cards from previous jobs as proof someone hired me and that I could do that job....
Polysporin, the 5th tube hidden all over the house for my ten year old who swears by it for boo boos
Novofine Plus Needle  tips for diabetes, a new diagnosis not seen forthcoming as I drank 1000's upon 1000's of Gods coffees

# data[].attributes.body
Magazines- Magazines I have yet to read are stacked up on my table with the magazines that I read when I was younger

Prize:- A boy looking "animal" formerly in my painting equipment but now sits on my drawer that's on the table. Reminders of my first time going to to Orleans Fun Fair (I think it was the first time but my memory is horrible)

Crayons- Two boxes of crayons sit on top of each other. I use them to colour a colouring book I got when I was younger as a way to relax

Plastic Cup- A plastic white cup leans on the wall and inside it is a red paint brush. Every so often I take it out to paint my Magic Painting Book were I learn around the different sea creatures in the ocean

Pencil Case- A pink, blue and yellow poka dot pencil case sits onto of the stack of magazines, colouring books and drawing notebooks. A reminder of my high school years and of all the times I asked my dad to take my back to school shopping when I already had everything I needed. (What can I say I like getting new stuff)

Earbuds- In a pink case connected to a white code, sitting on the table is my earbuds that I got the Christmas prior. If it were up to me I would have selcted the airpods to connect with my Iphone but these earbuds will suffice

# data[].attributes.body
My Beading Tickle Trunk

Patterns: unfinished patterns, pieces of my life, scattered or crumpled, a tucked away thought, a new idea outlined

Beads: delicas, seeds beads, size 13 charolettes, dazzled and sparkles waiting to be picked-

Threads: tangled and twisted, frayed and burnt- doodles of breath, my thread seems to last and last

Needles: glovers and beading needles, some are bent and well used , broken or forgotten-

Gift: a beaded horse pouch my dad gave me, a memory of him, his words , his teachings

Tobacco

Sweetgrass

Beadwork: smiling with pride, the chaos of my childhood, tucked away- yet piecing together
A beautiful piece

# data[].attributes.body
- Hand-drawn playing cards, I made for friends when cards were banned in elementary school
- Doodles, I thought special- a testament to my childhood craft
- A coin, so shiny bringing out the Magpie in me
- Greeting Cards, with cool images back before printing a pixelated image was today's 1080p
- A decorated box, that held my autonomy and independence as a child, a rarity in a family and culture that shares all
- Dust, no meaning but a symbol of untouched history

# data[].attributes.body
Gratitude list

water….the power of life, mother earths milk
She dances for the water , embraced by her mothers love,
Prayers of footsteps that etch the earth
Her journey and footprints
Prints of survival, broken promises
Wishes of the language - to speak in fluency with fluid words and taste of sweet words that connect to the water
The water that washes the hurt

I am grateful for her, the water that gives life

# data[].attributes.body
Cold milk tea with warm tapioca

Softball games on breezy Sunday mornings

The ability to listen to my latest song obsession on my commute to work

The ability to share my partner’s excitement on their daily wins

The nights I get good a night’s rest

The friendships I have and the comfort it brings me

The days where I can instantly find matching socks

# data[].attributes.body
My son
My dog
My life and all of its experiences
My friends
A good nights sleep
My home
The universe and the lessons I learn everyday
Meditation
Yoga
New chapters opening up in my life
My crystals
My ancestors

# data[].attributes.body
My old mom who's coming out of a narcissistic cloud in time to enjoy her adult kids.
My stalky little brother and the way he helps me with my car.
My middle brother not dying on the road two years ago.
My sisters -- for being friends.
My nieces and nephews.
My quiet apartment.
My health.
My wit.
Me.

# data[].attributes.body
My Children who drive me insane and yet keep me sane
My god coffee on a cold day
My dog's cold nose when I need comfort
Being alive to drink the coffee
Being able to buy things for my daughter
My blanket that is 17 years old
My son who is trying so hard
My daughter who makes me laugh
For friends who love me and who support me
For all my animals I have ever known
That I get to go home to the plains of Alberta every year

# data[].attributes.body
Music
Singer’s,howling
Guitar, singing
Bass is bubbling
Drummer’’s crashing
Joyful racket
Healing medicine
Music, sweet music

Jonathan T

# data[].attributes.body
My parents
My older brother
Writing to use as a way to express my emotions
Support from family
Getting to hang out with my parents and my brother
Being able to have a roof over my head and have food on the table
For waking up in the morning
For getting to expierence new things
To go for a walk outside and come back home safely

# data[].attributes.body
My breath
mornings
sunrise
new beginnings
new days
new life
gifts from the earth
sunshine
clarity
truth
connectedness
beauty
love
faith
senses
sight
mobility
energy
kitty cat
sunsets
moon glows
stars
rest
ancestors
blessings

# data[].attributes.body
Gratitude is
When my mom tells me about her day
When my partner looks me in the eye
When the sky hits the lake so beautifully
when tea touches my lips at THE PERFECT temperature
When I get the chance to breathe so steady
CHOCOLATE
OOF
the way it melts
the way it tastes
the way it makes the perfect gift.
Gratitude is when I feel at peace
if even for a second
When I see your breathes match mine
When the days pace matches mine
oof
and don't forget
chocolate

# data[].attributes.body
My Bedroom
My junk drawer
Things I love
Fruit (Description)
Things I am too scared to do
Things I am not scared to do
Things I hope I never do
Things I adore about 'someone'
Ten things I learned from my EX
Ten things I learned from my enemy
Ten things I learned from my friend
My Favorite Place
Things you would do if you were a wizard
Ways you would not like to die
Things you would do if you had a million dollars

# data[].attributes.body
List poems were used by Greeks and are even in the bible and are an ancient form of poetry writing.

# data[].attributes.body
A list poem is a list of things created by images or adjectives that describe the subject of the list. Usually, the title of the list poem is what the list is about.  The start and ending of a list have surprising images or details of description.