Project Description

'…to welcome you in.' Welcome Home

By Sha'Condria iCon Sibley | Originally Published at Facebook. October 26 at 8:31 PM

I grew up in a house where ‘I Love you’
sounded a lot like broken glass and bodies crashing into one another
way too hard.
A house where Love was too loud and too angry
for pillow talk.
Love’s beauty was invisible to the eye of the beholder
until it was time to fuck
or rape with insults.
When you grow up in a house with a balled up fist
for a heart,
you learn to fight everything you Love.
You grow up knocking on strangers’ doors with your balled up fist heart
hoping someone will not confuse your knocking
for intrusion,
but that they will hear your heartbeat
in the rhythm
and that they will have the heart
to welcome you in.

~ Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley

Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley…By definition, an “icon” is usually a symbol or an image that stands for or represents something other than itself. As an artist, Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley has made a choice to represent the loving-kindness, creativity, and power of God through her gifts and talents.

As a founding member of the “Mighty, Mighty” Team SNO (Slam New Orleans), iCon has helped to lead the team where no other New Orleans slam team has gone before—consecutively winning the Battle of the Boot (2009-12), 2nd place at Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam (2010, 2012), National Poetry Slam Group Piece Finals (2010), and the coveted National Poetry Slam Championship (2012). | Follow her at Twitter @icontheartist

This piece was reprinted by EmpathyEducates with permission or license. We thank the Poet and Author, Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley for her kindness, for sharing her sensitive soul and awareness. May we all be grateful for the rhythm of heartbeats.