In this space
On this land
Energy flows through me
Magic transpires
I write in the dark of night
Amidst the rhythms of rain
Shamanic power conjures the elements
Pulsating with the vitality of life
Nurturing an inferno of resilience within
The omnisexual erotic unfolds
Bodies touch and explode
Sensual synergy fuels our spirits
These sacred truths are all we know
I feel so connected
Deeply respected
Love courses freely
Careening through my heart
This is powerful work
Crafting new culture
Naming ancient spiritual wisdom
Manifesting the shamanic
Spirit feels whole
Integrating divergent voices
Holding the validity of opposite truths
Accessing a tantric dialectic
Opening hearts to shamanic wisdom
I feel a voracious fire
This state can be named in different ways
What if I am not manic?
What if I am magic?
Practicing the sorcery of empathy
This sorcery of alchemy and evolution
I name the shamanic
And I fear appropriating
Claiming culture that is not mine
Claiming brutalized indigenous practice
But the word feels resonant
My visions feel true
Empowering my journey through recovery
Reminded of sacred wisdom
That the opposite of addiction is connection
We awaken our magic
Taking radical responsibility
Accountability for our emotions
Accountability for collective care
These words grasp at the unknown
Reaching for an evolving shamanic prophecy
Conjuring the power of proliferating fungi
Seeking the wisdom of trees
Seeking deeply rooted community
Roots interlocking to survive apocalypse
Seeking the power to transform
Our emergent power to set spirit free
Photos @gruenholtz; Models: @jonzu @mroebrycepls, all on IG
–BYPO PHOENIX c)2023