BREAKING: UAW becomes largest Union to divest from Israel. UAW has long stood at the forefront of demanding justice, notably condemning Israel’s genocide on Gaza during the Biden administration. This is a huge step to force Israel to stop its apartheid & genocidal actions—all unions should follow.

"Hopeful Romantic" #poem #poetry #poet

"Assata" was poetry. "The New Jim Crow" is next on my list.

DID YOU KNOW? The current waitlist for people in #prison who write to us to be matched is over 3 years long! We want to connect these folks with a #PenPal much sooner than that — and to do that, we need folks on the outside!

"Every one of us deserves to get as much joy out of this brief life as possible." I met @andreagibson.bsky.social soon after they died. I had never known that I had always known them. They've changed my life, my poetry, and my remaining time on this plane. andreagibson.substack.com/p/commencement

Make new friends!

Jails and prisons are not an alternative to mental health care. Thank you to @prisonpolicy.org for compiling the research, and to all those who advocate for #MentalHealth reforms in our society and systems. #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

Communication shouldn't be a commodity. When our loved ones can make and receive phone calls without worrying about the cost, they experience more connection, real financial relief, stronger families, improved mental and physical health, safer facilities, and better odds of coming—and staying—home.

Who's ready to help #StampOutHunger? The annual #NALC food drive is THIS SATURDAY! All donations go to food banks in your community. In 2024, Buffalo collected 425,000 pounds of food! No matter where in the US you live, May 9 is the day to leave out nonperishable food items for your letter carrier.

Yes I'm the one who puts together my band's newsletters, how could you tell? Follow @songbirdswny on FB, Insta, and TikTok 🕊️ #MayTheFourth #MayThe4th #IntergalacticStarWarsDay #FleetwoodMacTribute #SongbirdsWNY @songbirdswny

This spring and beyond, May you dedicate your energy to the things you wish to grow 🌷 There are over 1,500 people inside US #prisons who are waiting to be matched with an outside #PenPal through Letters for Liberation. If you’ve considered joining the L4L community, now's a great time to do it. 🧵⤵️

Every act of interruption contributes to the ongoing efforts toward structural change.

This month's #newsletter highlights #abolitionist publications, including an op-ed written by Jean Casella of @solitarywatch.bsky.social and Dr. David Cloud of The Bellwether Collaborative for Health Justice) cataloguing the harms of #SolitaryConfinement & urging #prisons to eliminate the practice.

I wrote this for my dear friend Macklin, who has been a beautiful example of living truly to one's self and one's values. Mack is the model, the photographer, and the inspiration, and she asked me to share this for #TransgenderDayOfVisibility. #poem #poetry #poet

✨ CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS ✨ So many of our inside pen pals are #creators. Through writing, drawing, and a variety of artistic expressions, they bring color into a world desperate for glimmers of beauty. Here are two opportunities for folks on the inside to submit their work for publication ⤵️

Dr. Norman C. Francis lived a long life devoted to the advancement of civil rights in our nation, with a notable impact on higher ed. He advanced U.S. history as a lawyer, a man of faith, and the longest-serving president of Xavier University. #BlackHistoryMonth

Do you believe in #soulmates? #poem #poet #poetry

Black women have a long history of powering the #abolitionist movement. 👀 5 women we're spotlighting for their advocacy in abolishing ongoing slavery in the US 🧵 “Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.” - Angela Davis #BlackHistoryMonth #PrisonAbolition #Abolition

Reflections on Men in Power #poem #poetry #poet

Strong journalism is not de@d! Keep your eyes open. Major props to @lopatto.bsky.social for this piece.

Looking to deepen your capacity to tangibly disrupt, intervene in, and transform harm and conflict? Outside pen pal and long-time L4L volunteer Nathalie is offering a season of Rehearsals in Defiance, and all are welcome! More info 🧵 ⤵️

Excerpt from tonight's #poem

what are you trying to protect if not children from monsters?

💞

#Empathy is the truest proof of #humanity. #poem #poetry #poet

Confessions in the Darkness. #poem #poetry #poet

"Relationships across are complicated, but they are also powerful. They teach us how to show up for each other in ways that are honest, sustainable, and rooted in mutual respect."

As we contemplate last night's #BuffaloBills loss, it's important to remember that the DOJ has released less than 1% of the #EpsteinFiles. #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles

This week I remembered that I am a marvel ✨ #poem #poetry #poet

This month's #newsletter puts the spotlight on @DriveChangeNYC, a team of change makers supporting young people who've been directly impacted by the American legal system by providing culinary & hospitality training, social support, & pathways to advance their economic mobility & overall well-being.

My wish for every person alive 💖 #poem #poetry

Fuck ICE. Gestapo out now.

Birthday #poem! 🪞 Background image by @tuvalolandphoto #poetry #poet

In this season of giving and receiving, consider forming a connection with someone inside the prison system. We're hosting one orientation this month for new pen pals who are looking to experience the gift of friendship. Join us on Saturday, December 13 at 2pm ET to join the L4L community!

"#Poetry is one of the most beautiful shadows a civilization can cast across time." - Tamsyn Muir

Write yourself a love letter. Write yourself a sonnet. Write yourself a thank-you note. Love yourself—and put it in writing.

I've learned to listen when the Universe speaks to me. #poem #poet #poetry

"Lists" (excerpt) #poetry #poem #poet

Keep going Keep growing Keep glowing

walking out of the polling place her child looked up at her and asked "who did you vote for?" and she picked up her sticker with a smile and said "the good guys"

Interested in expanding your community? We hold regular orientations to onboard new pen pals, so we can match more people inside and outside the prison system to connect through letter-writing. No registration required — check out our website (linked below) for the details on how to join the call!

"The Alabama Solution" is an essential new documentary that dives deep into the realities of Alabama's #prison system. These horrors are not unique to one state in our nation's 50. As part of the path toward #abolition, it falls on us to demand transparency, humanity, and accountability.

When you run social media for an organization/band, you do a lot of liking/commenting/sharing of your own content to feed into the algorithm and boost engagement. Maybe try treating yourself that way, too. 👍 Like what you put into the world 💬 Talk to yourself (nicely) 🔁 Share what you care about

Mary Oliver’s questions have been on my mind. #acrostic #poem #poetry #MaryOliver #Poem133 #TheSummerDay

No one cares about your shitty green lawn. Leave the leaves. 🍂

Sometimes it's a roller coaster, sometimes it's a fright fest. You're still the one I wanna go through time with <3

If no one told you that you did a great job today, tell yourself! It's a really nice thing to hear, especially when it comes from one of your toughest critics <3

Requesting all platforms immediately stop autocorrecting <3 to an emoji heart thxxx

Lookin' at you, most world "leaders" #haiku #poem #poetry

I just want my friends to take care of themselves the way I would take care of them with none of the societal expectations to work harder and longer and faster and only rest when it's time to sleep I just want my friends to find peace in quiet the way we were all meant to