During lockdown
When the buck stopped with me every second of every minute of every day
You will never know how much your voices
Kept me afloat

“Hallo C, I’m calling to get your food delivery together, is it a good time?”
F: your voice is so melodious, so calm, so velvety, I smiled and relaxed every time I heard you on the phone
And I kept you talking a bit longer than I should have done so I could enjoy your voice like glorious warm soft sunshine at the beginning and the end of the day
Cushioning me so that everything felt not just doable but that I was warm and safe in a big soft pillowy snug

“Hi C, It’s D, I got your email, is it still a good time to talk?”
D: I want to say your voice was a rock, but a rock is too hard and your voice is not hard
Better to say a steady baritone sending out a safety signal like a lighthouse sending its sweeping light over the night time waves
Whenever I heard you, I trusted that everything would be OK
And when I doubted answering a funding call
You reassured me that it was worth trying
And I believed you and it worked
And here we are: in a new cycle of art and expression

“Hey C, it’s L. Shall we talk?”
L: your energy is epic and you are the king of the castle of spreadsheets and google docs 🙂
Ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough
Ain’t no river wide enough
You can make any idea fly
Your horizons are wide
But you are only going to travel when all your people have got what they need and are on their way first
Like the wolf leader (meme)
Who puts the next strongest out the front to make sure the way is safe
And then follows up behind to make sure you’ve got everyone’s back

As-salamu alaykum
Shalom Aleichem
Ekene nke udo – ezibgo nwanne n nye m aka gi
The greeting of peace — my good sister/brother give me your hand

Thank you F, D + L
You know who u are