an old friend i just read
taught me about something in american history of which i had no idea
(no shortage of that eh?)

it was a carnival game that, like many practices in american popular culture, has had its origins and current connections to the modern day erased by those in our society who have an interest in the deletion of this sort of thing from the public consciousness

this particular shameful form of entertainment was called

african dodger

shame yes for shame (google it if you need to) and shame now makes a very loud presence in me as i realize that somehow when i first read this old friend many many years ago, i either didn’t notice or didn’t retain this information

breathing in now
my awareness of this brings to me
thoughts of similar things i have only recently learned about…

the tulsa race massacre
indigenous children boarding schools
ludlow massacre

…and while i am happy to realize that i am still open to such illumination
of course i know there is so much more

and yes i will never know more than a sliver of what we all know is an ever-evolving understanding of what we call
truth
exhaling now

i am reading
i am thinking
and i am sharing

——

Peace/Love

m(-_-)m