“Let Freedom Ring” – an open mic for readers is scheduled for Friday, July 3 at The Bookstore in the Grove. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. -
hosted by the Miami Writers Association and the International Institute for Human Understanding.

Let’s get a good crowd for the night and celebrate writing. With July 4 banging the next day, a theme for the evening could be: Freedom (in the many ways that can be interpreted).

I’m going to read this…I think it still needs editing, though. Any feedback is appreciated….

Freedom is L-I-F-E after death.
Stillness.
Solitude.
The sound of no distractions.
The ability to move without answering to anyone…but if I want to, I do.

Freedom is knowing in the back of my M-I-N-D
that everything will be F-I-N-E
even when my frontal lobe worries.

Freedom is being able to take criticism without crying,
rejection without whining,
listening without defending

Freedom is not planning and just letting the gifts unwrap themselves on their own T-I-M-E.
Freedom is disconnecting the phone,
the Internet, the Cable TV, the iPod and not feeling like I’m missing something.

Freedom is painting my hair blue
not because I want to be P-U-N-K
but because blue representz communication and my hair follicles speak more clearly than my mouth.

Freedom is going to the movies on a Thursday afternoon.
Freedom is sleeping eight hours every night
No baby crying for a nipple

Freedom is swimming in the ocean on a Wednesday afternoon.
Freedom is playing with a nephew for a few hours and giving him back to his parents,
getting my fix, then moving on so I can help build his scholarship F-U-N-D.

Freedom is kissing the man I L-O-V-E
without expecting him to marry me
Yet treating him like a K-I-N-G
Because he is worthy.

Freedom is expressing my thoughts in the public domain without my pride or the government harassing me.
Freedom is saying no to a job because T-I-M-E is more valuable than money.

Freedom is knowing L-I-F-E owes me nothing so the more I laugh the more I earn.
Freedom is taking responsibility
And giving others space for their own individuality.

Freedom is trusting those I have chosen to be in my circle
Freedom is knowing I am not Kemila
I am not Melanie
I am water.
And I can freeze, absorb, boil, or flood
on the spot
because I am the wizard
behind the curtain
manipulating the controls,
no longer a slave to parents or teachers or bosses or friends or men or politicians or corporations.

I am FREE to slip between the cracks
and traverse my own path…
a trickle to a river to an ocean.

Freedom is L-I-F-E after death..