If this Poetic Interlude feels like a message or mirror, share it with someone who is looking to think about rest differently.
What bodily sensations can you recall that signify rest should be near? In this Poetic Interlude, Derrick Weston Brown shares his poem “Pool” (previously published in Narrative Northeast Journal).
Creative expression is a portal to rest as liberation. 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 Derrick Weston Brown and even explore your own creativity, which we define as liberatory rest.
Poem: “Pool”
from the Aquahbruh/ Melinated Merman Series & for Black Men who swim
Underneath the blue rim of waves
the water breaks across my brown back.
I paddle my legs & crawl: a buoyant
black mass of bubble & sigh.
I am writing a grocery list
one lap
Syncopating my breath
the other five
ignoring the cooking
in my ample thighs
& hoping to leave
these extra pounds in the water
instead of just spent breath.
When the water breaks
across my brown back
when I breach the liquid seal
each time I turn my head & inhale
I am getting over myself
& all of the unseen inside me
that weighs I down.
When the water breaks
across my brown back
I roll float.
A body at rest unmoored.
A sable soft currant.
I think - I want to
love like this:
strokes brown breath breach
ease undulate muscle memory
wave tide tug current pooling
ample inhale liquid spent breath lapping
rest
repeat.
Reflections
Swimming is a major stress reliever for me in addition to being great exercise. However, as much as I love propelling myself through the water, my favorite part of swimming is, well, floating. Coming to rest after much movement is a great sensation for me. What actions or sensations can you recall related to your body that signify rest should be near?
About the Poet
DERRICK WESTON BROWN holds an MFA in creative writing from American University. He is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was an adjunct professor of English and Literature at Prince George’s Community College and is a full-time Creative Writing faculty member at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Derrick’s debut poetry collection, Wisdom Teeth, was released in April 2011 on Busboys and Poets Press/PM Press. His second collection, On All Fronts, was released along with two other poetry chapbooks in a bound series from Upper Rubber Boot Press titled Floodgates Vol.5, in March of 2019.
Publications: Narrative Northeast Journal (Feb. 2019)
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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.