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The Rest of Us with Dana Tenille Weekes
The Rest of Us podcast explores rest as self-liberation for advocates and professionals who are losing themselves to the demands of work, loved ones, friends, strangers, and this dizzying world. The Rest of Us cultivates a community through honest reflections, conversations, and laughter for people willing to embrace rest differently.
The Rest of Us with Dana Tenille Weekes
Ep 11: Five Life Lessons Learned from Writing Poetry (Part 2 of 2)
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In the second episode honoring National Poetry Month, host Dana Tenille Weekes shares the remaining two life lessons she’s learned from her poetry practice. These are lessons about life, not writing, that continue to shape how Dana defines rest, agency, and belonging.
The two lessons are:
- When You Confront a Constraint, Lean into Your Freedom. What are some constraints in your life that are really opportunities to break through and return to yourself? What superpower can you lean into where your details are free?
- Gratitude is a Boundary. How does your present life fully respect the things you are grateful for? What is one thing you are grateful for that you can put into practice, so that you’re telling the world how you want to be respected?
To celebrate the power of poetry and close out April as National Poetry Month, Dana reads three influential works from poets she considers family.
- "Grandma tells a story about forgiveness" by Zia Wang, first published in KTB.
- “Scientists Say Crows Can Hold Grudges for 17 Years” by Sullivan Summer, first published in Dead End Zine.
- "If We Make Our Breath a Poem” by Rosa Castellano, published in her debut book All Is The Telling.
Dana also recognizes Torch Literary Arts for its work in amplifying Black women writers.
Even if poetry isn’t your thing, this episode is for you because living in your liberation is.
If this episode feels like a message or mirror, feel free to share it with someone who is looking to think about rest differently.
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Until next time, rest, my friends.
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