Call to Power A Collective Poem
Arranged by Naomi Ayala Contributions by Latino Community Foundation of Colorado 2017 Telling Our Story Forum Participants
R E I N V E N T I N G
T H E
S A C R E D
Power of the Arts to Build and Strengthen Community
Poet and author, Naomi Ayala, wove together the personal thoughts and responses from a room full of people gathered together to learn and grow.
The result is a powerful reminder that art is power. Thank you all to those who participated in creating a unified voice of encouragement and affirmation.
This poem is dedicated to you, our community, and the potential that we all hold within and around us.
Call to Power: A Collective Poem Personal power is actualization. I develop it by being in the moment and living with passion every day. Personal power is being fully alive, uplifting others, telling the truth. To me personal power is motivating and empowering my students and the warmth I feel watching the sunset in silence. I develop my personal power by praying while walking in the morning and by reading. To me, personal power is impact, love, and community. I develop my personal power by being true to myself and giving back. Power can mean taking advantage of others. It can also mean reclaiming it, but I am still exploring this. To me personal power is working with others and having everyone contribute their perspectives. I develop my personal power by decolonizing my mind. To me personal power is Freedom – Strength. I develop my personal power by lifting myself up, taking time to spend with others, and by doing what I love to do. To me personal power is the ability to have the strength to make decisions without constraints. Showing up every day and making a commitment to do my best for myself and my community. To me personal power is creativity and I develop it by mentoring others, by writing and learning and caring for others. To me personal power is trust, strength, courage, heart, the sunshine, love, all worth it. I develop my personal power by taking time for me, respecting myself, trusting myself, believing in Flor. Personal power is accepting that my flaws or perceived limitations can be overcome with courage and perseverance. I develop it by trying something new and scary each day. I embrace my failures and successes equally. Personal power is respect, love, a journey, mis hijos, the pursuit of something greater than me. I develop it by being personally accountable, learning something new, gaining new perspective, and overcoming struggles. Knowledge is personal power to me, and I develop it with people and by reading, participating, and listening. Power means providing the voiceless, the oppressed with a voice and the ability to make a positive change in their lives. It’s education, teaching my students and helping them fight for their education, praying that I can make a difference in their lives. Personal power is believing in my strength to achieve my goals and I develop it by listening carefully and acting, and including all later. To me personal power is using my voice and I develop it by standing in truth and taking care of myself, by resting and listening to music.
For me, it’s connection to nature and to feeling grounded. I develop it by taking the time to reconnect every single day. To me, personal power is influence and I develop it by spending a few minutes each day to focus on me. To me, personal power is the freedom to make decisions that feel right for me (unapologetically). To dance unencumbered by the rules and societal norms that may try to tie me down. My power is replenished daily with each task, each idea and each moment I spend thinking about how to help my community thrive. To me, personal power is using my privilege to step aside so others may join in, to step back so others may step forward, and to speak up for opportunities for justice when they arise. To me, personal power is critical thinking, education, and love. I develop my personal power by empathizing with myself and others I value and hold sacred in my life. I develop my personal power by pushing myself to use my voice, even when it shakes and is unclear or ineffective. The learning continues. I develop my personal power by taking time to think, grow, learn, embrace, challenge, affirm, connect, and accept. Personal power is living, laughing, loving, learning, sharing, and demonstrating empathy. I develop my personal power by reading, listening, and being humble. Personal power is… ser yo misma, es información. Aprendiendo día a día y compartiendo lo
aprendido con las personas a mi alrededor.
To me, personal power is… action and impact, voice, connection to family, energy, happiness, authenticity, empowering inspiration, staying true to my values, living them out and living out my strengths. It’s safety, freedom, voice, ambition. My faith in God, my source, living out my purpose. It’s feeling alive. It’s setting an example for my students by being confident. It’s It’s It’s It’s
family and being a positive role model. love, resilience, compassion. freedom to be me. using my words and voice to be understood.
It’s the ability to influence, impact, and move others. It’s connecting with my intentions. It’s sharing a voice and activism. It’s translating values, learning, and purpose into action and impact. It’s being connected to others. It’s making space.
It’s knowledge gratitude. It’s being strong and accountable so that I can help others. It’s trusting myself, knowing that I can rely on me. It’s learning. It’s my ability to overcome and defy the odds. I develop my personal power by… Developing myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. By having perseverance and nurturing myself and others. By connecting to community. By thinking of others and how to empower them. By sharing knowledge. By listening to and caring for my beloved friends and family. By having faith. By remembering, reflecting, connecting. By inspiring and being inspired. By accepting myself and our call to power. By summoning the voices of the trailblazers to support me. By By By By
engaging in creative activities, taking time to myself, and practicing selfcare. getting strength from building positive relationships. making sure I have time for others. taking time at the beach.
By being in community. By living and allowing others to feel alive. By praying and raising my voice. By learning and engaging with others who support me. By standing up to those who try to oppress me. By nurturing creativity. By starting my day with a good mindset and being satisfied with my outfit in the morning. By seeking peace and rejoicing in humility. And I do this with my yoga practice.
El poder personal para mi es tener una meta. I develop my personal power cuando pongo esa meta en acción. To me personal power is my roots and enjoying my culture and showing it to others. It’s being strong for my family and the community. I develop my personal power by sharing my knowledge and helping others grow. Personal power is the opportunity to demonstrate your vision and enroll others in it. It’s the opportunity to grow and impact the world. I develop this power by being my authentic self.
Para mí el poder personal es cambio y superación. Yo desarrollo mi poder personal cuando enfrento retos y barreras. Personal power is living each day to your truest. It’s music and family. I develop it by nourishing myself. Personal power is courage, freedom, confidence, humility, resilience, roots, authenticity, and accountability. I develop it by living life with faith and love.
To me, personal power is confidence and I develop it by learning and thinking before talking.
Personal power is sharing voice and I build this power by inspiring and being inspired. Personal power is speaking my truth and I develop this power by writing. My personal power is confidence and love. I develop it by being who I am when times get tough. Personal power is… Having the resilience to get up and fight injustice and oppression every day. It’s inspiring change, transformation, connecting, seeing opportunities, and it’s team work. It’s about choice, about choosing to love and to be positive. It’s about the capacity to be present, grateful, and feel energized. It’s about effecting change, making a difference, and living healthily. It’s about using my talents and skills to support others and making ethical decisions in difficult situations. It’s knowledge, recognition, community, and generations past and future. It’s being uncompromising, demanding. It’s about self-expression and connection. It’s using my platform and knowledge to move my community forward. It’s about being independent and creating wealth for me and my community. It’s about words.
It’s about the courage to be myself. I develop my personal power by… Taking care of my negative talk. Taking time to be alone. By creating excellence. By By By By By By By
being intentional and being financially independent. investing in my personal growth. dipping my hands in the river and burning piñon incense. taking time to reflect. telling the truth. journaling. spending that first hour alone.
By choosing to chase my dream of spreading educational access for people who have been systematically denied a higher education. By remembering that we are part of the whole and the whole is a part of us always. Power is brownness spanning across oceans, digging into lands, knowing ancestors carry us through waters, across forests, releasing medicine, grandmother healers, and grandfathers… tiahui. Power is our ancestors’ voices, deep roots, skin the color of dirt, prayer and medicine, ceremony, listening to our elders, hugging the Earth, Mamá, Pachamama.
N A O M I
A Y A L A
Author and Poet
Naomi Ayala is the author of three books of poetry—Wild Animals on the Moon, This Side of Early , and Calling Home: Praise Songs and Incantations. She is the translator of Luis Alberto Ambroggio’s book The Wind’s Archeology/La arqueología del viento, which won her an International Latino Book Award for Best Nonfiction Book Translation. She’s now worked with countless emerging writers of all levels and across cultures and linguistic ability. She has led workshops on college and university campuses and served as an embedded teacher in public schools across the U.S., grassroots projects housed at community-based organizations, and in women's shelters, museums, and churches. Ms. Ayala lives in Washington, DC.
@NaomiAyala7s @naomiayala @naomi.ayala.37
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