If this Poetic Interlude feels like a message or mirror, share it with someone who is looking to think about rest differently.
How do you find honey in the marrow of the night and pass the cup around?
This Poetic Interlude features Amanda Johnston and also celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Torch Literary Arts, an organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women.
In this Poetic Interlude, Amanda Johnston, Founder of Torch, reads her poem “For Loud Women Like Me,” first published in Callaloo Volume 41 Issue 1.
Creatives, including poets, show us how to embrace our humanity and act on our truths. We in The Rest of Us community view this as a deep connection to one’s own agency — our definition of rest.
Settle into the work of Amanda Johnston and even explore your own creativity, which we define as liberatory rest.
Poem: “For Loud Women Like Me”
when it’s a good holla
and you can see my teeth
in the back of my mouth
you’ll know you’ve found
the best of me, rich with spirits
full on good folk
going on about something
no one will remember but
somebody told the truth
somebody’s testifying
somebody’s laughing
the salt to sweet
somebody found honey
in the marrow of the night
and passed the cup around
Reflections
This poem speaks to the love of one’s truest self, full of joy, in the company of others. How do you find honey in the marrow of the night and pass the cup around?
Think about when and where you hide your true self. How must you hold space for your true self, for the loudness that is you?
About the Poet
Amanda Johnston is a writer, visual artist, and the 61st Poet Laureate of Texas. She is the author of Another Way to Say Enter and editor of the anthology Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas. Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications, among them Callaloo, Poetry Magazine, The Moth, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships, grants, and awards from Cave Canem, The Watermill Center, Academy of American Poets, among others. She is a former Board President of the Cave Canem Foundation and the founder of Torch Literary Arts.
WEBSITE: https://www.amandajohnston.com/
PUBLICATIONS: Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas (Host Publications, 2025)
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Meet the Host:
Dana Tenille Weekes
Dana Tenille Weekes made the conscious decision to live in a mindset of rest as self-liberation after nearly 15 years as a lawyer-lobbyist in Washington, DC. In 2020, Dana faced the darkest period of her life, which eventually led her to resign from a top global law firm and take a year-long journey of rest in 2022.
In 2023, Dana launched Thrive Architects, a strategic advising and professional development firm building advocacy, organizational health, and well-being platforms for organizations, communities, and people to thrive.
The Rest of Us podcast is one way Dana is building community for professionals and advocates on the brink of burnout to think about rest differently. If you’re interested in embracing rest as liberation, especially after the podcast episode ends, join our community where we converse, connect, cultivate, and lean into our creativity.