Two queens
It was beautiful as she laid next to me
The world flying by at the speed of light
The wonders of magic
We were still
Quiet
The darkness fell upon the city
I drift away into splendor
Nothingness
I’m not going anywhere my love
So sleep with me
Forever
I often look down as I walk
not because I am ashamed
I want to see my feet placed upon the earth for that one moment
Feeling my foots friction against the earth, vibrations
I will never take this step again
Every step in life, you may only take once
To live in and appreciate every step for as beautiful or as dark as it may be;
I am in this moment.
No ideas are bad ideas! keep trying as long as you’re breathing.
Take notes from your inspirations. Don’t hesitate to be; just be it.
Today is another day that is “your day”. There is no dictatorship on “your” life.
If your tired of it simply change it.
Don’t reach for the stars… See the universe and take it.
-Nina
My girlfriend got me a Fung Shui book for Christmas and not long after the intro the author explained that the closet… ” No! Not the closet!” It’s energy would be negative on my life; chaotic if messy. The mess, the mess! ….The closet… it was a mess…. I ran into the bedroom! Folded everything neatly and placed the clothes against the wall (we just moved in) and breathing a sigh of relief I sat down and picked up the book again; feeling calmer than before; Flowing Chi.
There’s a chi story in the book.
“A man has to stoop under an overgrown branch to get in his front door. He doesn’t trim the branch, and has to stoop every day for a year to get in his door. Soon he begins to walk in a stooped posture everywhere he goes. One branch in need of trim has changed a mans gait. His stoop leads to illness, loss of work, and financial problems.
Now the man’s neighbor comes to the door with fresh vegetables from his garden. The branch hinders the neighbors easy access to the door, so instead of putting his basket down and stooping to get to the door, he decides to take his produce to someone else. What’s more, the neighbor leaves with the impression that the man isn’t very friendly. Why would he let the branch grow in front of his door if he were? He decides that he won’t visit the man again. In the days that follow, the neighbor mentions his experience to several people. Each time the story is told it gets more exaggerated, with everyone concluding that the man is an embarrassment to the neighborhood because of his poorly kept property and unwelcoming demeanour.
The compounded impact of one seemingly insignificant thing in the man’s life has become great indeed.” – T.K. Collins
Fung shui is acquired knowledge and perception of yin and yang as well as the 5 elements flowing chi’. This is very new to me. The above chart is a little over my head and probably more geared towards chi as a whole and not as a flowing space called home. But I like to view Chi’ in a simple way: Simple energies; creating a place to be productive, spiritual, happy…. far from a zen or fung shui master, I try to balance room; and thus is all I have practiced so far.
I find it similar to my zen studies as not to be messy, enjoy change and every moment and that everything has its order and it’s place. Fung shui teaches us that the energy is important; causing effects on all aspects of our lives, moving and flowing through the elements and I’m starting to see and understand, (a little).
Cleaning and arranging can be a spiritual and enjoyable processes if you let it be, “every step in life you may only take once,”. – Zen saying.
Enjoy brightening your life.
Nina Yin
“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” -Haile Selassie I
It’s 6:50 AM. I’m feeling pretty good, I love the early mornings and they say its a good time to be creative because the subconscious mind is still active; naturally I go to the computer and begin writing. As I do every morning so it often gives me dejavu. Thinking about my girlfriend and what she means to me.
The coffee is made and she’s sound asleep in the bedroom. We saw star wars last night and it was really nice to finally got to see something in theaters because we watch movies obsessively; it’s almost absurd. I love her with all my heart, she likes to say “no you dont”, when I tell her I do. It’s a cute game. One of many; such a tease. Laughing as I type.*
Both of our lives shifted and changed in a huge way when we met; slowly at first but it seems as though we’ve moved mountains in this cherished blip in time. I’m moved in many ways; changed for the good. True love moves mountains and I feel blessed. Here I am; writing away with her as my inspiration. Codependent in a productive fashion, we like to set goals and 99% of the time we reach them, we are like an unstoppable force. At least that’s how I feel.
Alike and polar opposites, a perfect balance of attraction; opposites attracting, yin and yang. The law of attraction we both believe in. She thinks she has bad luck and I think I have good luck ,so we can sit in harmony together; our lives balanced in opposition but also in love. She pushes me to keep going in all my art forms and avoid wasting my time and energy on useless “shit”. I’m a slow learner and she is quick, so I appreciate when she can see the storms coming before I can.
Keep watching over me.
L.C.
Love, Nina Yin
Blessing to be alive and recognize that girl in the mirror, she’s smiling and smiling, smiling delirious.
Smiling in pouring rain, smiling in snow, smiling is important, to smile when it’s cold.
Miracles seen, kind of like lifelike dream but ,materialized unto me, so I’m so positive indeed
Battling happily, keep writing and enter psyche, destructured and restructured, sharing, airing it out for my comfort likely
This moment…. will I remember love beaming from my heart when it’s done?
Cause last week I was in the streets; darkness cast shadows on the sun.
Nina Yin Vestergaard
The following is a shorter version of a chapter I contributed to Translating Dissent: Voices from and within the Egyptian Revolution, ed. Mona Baker, out now via Routledge and available for purchase. This content has been edited for brevity.
In 2013, I gave a talk at the Petrie Museum in London to an audience of Egyptology students and academics. I presented the work of Alaa Awad, a 33-year-old Egyptian street artist who had painted murals of ancient Egyptian art around ahrir Square during the political protests of 2011 and 2012.
As I showed them a series of murals depicting women in fierce, coloured robes walking to battle, or a row of bearded men kneeling before the throne of a mouse being fanned by a cat, I could sense the room temperature changing as they began to realise that the paintings were almost perfect replicas of the ancient Egyptian murals they had studied.
Why…
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When we practice sacred sexuality we are working with cosmologically rooted principles, balancing the heavenly yang (male energy) of the universe with the all-knowing, life-giving yin (feminine energy) of the earth.
Nujabes, Wu Tang, A tribe called quest, Nas, Supernatural, Talib Kweli…. are a taste of the substance, although paid in full in the case of many true to form artists, the money is of no substance when spoken in hip hop, in particular; to the youth in possession of nothing. Bling bling isn’t a thing thing in hip hop. Maybe bling is fashion money is an accessory but in my opinion it just doesn’t belong. Taking from what is there. Inspired by hundreds of poets since my first three Wu cd’s , to the spark* : the first pressed rap vynal by the sugar hill gang I am submerged in the music, expressions, growth, not money nor violence.
Elementary school: My drum teacher introduced me to Tribe, I was addicted to tribe. In fact I still am! Lucien, Lucien, LUCIEN. LUCIEN, U SHOULD KNOW. *hahaha….My best friend showed me NWA ;my best friend….NWA a different breed and coast, but both served a purpose in my growth. Still just a seed trying to figure out what all these poets are REALLY trying to tell me. Knowledge is seemingly the lost element. The game is to be told not sold right?
The powerful dynamics of a Dr Dre album is enough to put a kid feeling on top the world. His production skills and writing, storytelling….it’s knowledge you know? Now he’s a billionaire, it’s something to be proud of but not flaunted nor taken as happiness, he lost his son, friends and family along the way, his legacy is not his money, it’s his continuing struggle to keep pushing the art.
I started battle rapping before the age of 13 in an upscale neighborhood, in a rap battle; you got to know something…. I knew it was going to be important in my growth. Slowly but surely every element of Hip hop took a form in my life and I happily embraced it. I like dancing, vynal spinning and producing….Graffiti addiction leading me to be in the system and harassed and often arrested by police but that just comes with the form and I accept it. Always feeling like the underdog the poets artists dancers and Dj’s rising into the limelight and tv screens was something that kept me going. Taking from what’s there….
Tupac has always been important to me; Humble at times, ” I may not change the world” but strong as he rebuttals… ” I will spark the brain that will change the world” This is important! Many great art forms became less noticeable after the 90;s. Not simplify hip hop but maybe every generation has a point where they say everything
The gift of gab should be taken seriously, something I often overlooked myself, my ego barrier. Rza ;the Abbott of the Wu (the teacher) and is a perfect example of what the uses are of the lost element of Hip hop. For a better tomorrow let us not lose ourselves to ego, as the earth is at a tipping point make sure to stand on a side of balance. 360 Degrees.
Rest in peace Jam Master J, Tupac Shakur, J Dilla, Notorious B.I.G., O.D.B. , Guru, Nujabes, Lisa Left Eye, Andre Young Jr. , Nate Dogg, Sean Price, DJ Grandmaster Roc Raida and all of the ones we held close.
Nina Yin Vestergaard
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