The Mission Statement:
I have committed my life to serving The Most High in all I do in my daily life, thus having renounced man’s world in order to achieve this Mission Possible. This means that I consciously choose to no longer be enslaved in today’s rat race or concrete jungle.
The Pop-Up Poetry Pow-Wows are my modern day version of going on alms rounds, a historical tradition reserved for the liturgical of several religions commonly seen of times past. Though secular and dressed in lay(wo)man’s clothes, I am following the path of altruistic beings because my heart believes in living this way. Thus, I come before you as His dutiful servant and warrior poet(ess), delivering messages of truth and justice to anyone receptive of vibing with me. As a child of The Most High, this is my gift and duty to the world as I choose to serve Him through my words so that they may give life to others.
My livelihood relies on the generosity and loving-kindness of others who see spiritual value in what I offer and who give freely from their hearts.
Eating my newfound best friend’s fresh, home cooked meals on a daily basis was always an adventurous and heart warming experience. (We are sitting on her bed, which doubles as a table for the poor man.) It is my dream to pay for her girls’ schooling and to build a nicer home for them. Kerala, INDIA
Where the alms go:
Any monetary alms collected will allow me to write, read, speak, and heal others full-time without charging anyone for my J-O-B. The truth is, I’ve been doing these things for a long time and just making it work because I have always seen a need for this kind of humanitarian service work. With a deeper understanding of my mission in life now however, I know deep down in my heart that I must continue doing this work, and it is picking up very rapidly because the state of the world calls for it now more than ever. Much of the work I’ve been doing for years is very confidential and I respect each person’s identity, pain and suffering, and dreams. My heart doesn’t allow me to turn anyone away – but only if they are serious about helping themselves first – and so the need to help others intensifies for me every second of every day.
Specifically, the alms collected will pay for things such as: equipment and supplies; administrative expenses; open mic fees; self-publishing my booklets of poetry; producing music albums of my spoken poetry; various holistic modalities; and doing countless nice things for others who show me so much kindness.
Since living this way for several years and counting, some examples of alms have included: different roofs over my head; various modes of transportation; groceries and supplements; clothes; bags & luggage; treated out to the most delightful meals; and the most touching gifts and surprises of all kinds.
It is my dream to build a nicer home for my friend. His heart is so big and kind, and what a talented singer he is! Whether through my personal money or alms collected, I would love to fulfill my friend’s basic needs and dreams.
St. Kitts, WEST INDIES
Most importantly, living off of alms allows me to support myself while living with a disability; and it is my response to the impending agitation from others who practically scream at me to “Get a (real) job!” My job is to serve others who come knocking on my door – scared, hopeless, and penniless – because I know precisely how it feels to be in their place. It’s a fascinating experience to throw myself out there like this in this modern day and age! I have no idea how I will be received by the world, but my heart feels very strongly about this path of living off of alms.
The form herein is based on specific almsgivings extended to me since living this way for years. Everything has been formalized for this platform.