Destination Rest

Justice & Peace Rest Poem

Curated by Ashley Cornelius

We are the justice, we are the peace.

We were created to release, to breathe, and to have peace.

Our inheritance is rich.

Birthed from our ancestors who wished only of our rest, our joy, and our love.

They told us that we are whole, perfectly imperfect, to imagine wildly, and to dream fully.

They want us to know we’re okay right here.

We are a community of dreamers.

Our rest is resistance.

It's okay where we are.

We hold on to gratitude. This is for now, not for forever.

You are a continually expansive being.

Your mere existence is revolutionary.

Your joy is resistance.

You are so deeply wanted in this world.

You hold everything you need to inspire, uplift, and nurture yourself and your community.

We are the justice we've been seeking.

We are the medicine we've been needing.

It is our connection. It is our love.

It is our empathy that will always nurture and care for us as we care for the community.

We are reminded that we are centered on giving ourselves space.

Space to grow, to change, to make mistakes, to become the best version of yourself.

Even when it is hard, you will not allow the weight of the world to dim your light, because you

are the light emanating from your soul.

You are a lighthouse for those seeking to find themselves.

You are breaking past darkness and giving light to new generations of hope.

You are entirely whole with petals that flow with the wind, whole, loved, and healed.

And in this way, you will be the greatest version of yourself this year, and every year in

perpetuity.

History will speak about the way you cared for yourself.

They will write sonnets about your rest. They will write odes about your joy.

We know this honest truth that rest makes us stronger.

Rest is a tool that multiplies your efforts and you prioritize rest.

You were made to rest. You were made to breathe, to joy, to laugh, to experience this world and

for the world to experience the magic that is you.

Always remember you are no less deserving of this rest, even if nothing productive has been

done, because your productivity does not determine your worth.

You are valued, you are enough, just by existing.

You and the universe are one.

There is no beginning or end, only a great cycle.We sit in the intersection of rest and creation, and we create art, we create beauty, we create

connection, and we rest.

We breathe, we restore, and we heal and in doing so, our community is strengthened by our

presence. You are integral in this world. In every universe, in every timeline, you are needed

and loved.

You know in your heart that you are capable of stepping outside of your comfort zone without

the fear of being judged, because you belong and you are welcome and we are all better for

each other.

You are a powerful, magical being who forges their own destiny.

As we sit in our power, we recognize that not knowing is okay.

A reminder to be present where you are and allow each moment to unfold.

No need for you to influence anything.

Be here now and savor it.

You hear God's voice in every waking moment.

You follow your heart to find your way home. a place of affable joy and peace.

In every space you occupy you make it better, bring in warmth and offer home to someone else.

When it feels hard, remember that staying alive and taking care of yourself each day is an act of

resistance.

Waking up every morning is a powerful act of revolution.

We need you in this world.

You do not need to earn rest. You are worthy as you are. You are worthy in the hardest of times,

and you are worthy when it is easy.

You have value and worth that cannot be taken away. It has been bestowed upon you by those

who walked before us.

And as you keep going through these challenges that come your way, you know that there will

be ups and downs, and you can handle it all.

We are justice, and we are peace.

Our lives are a protest against the system and we shout, and we chant that our value isn't up for

debate. Our bodies are ours.

We are meant to be where we are and we trust that we will find the way in time.

New beginnings await.

You deserve rest because you live in a body.

You do not have to earn your rest. It is already yours.

As you rest and care for yourself, you are trying to know who and what you are, and what you

can do in this new phase of life.

We offer patience, strength, openness, and solitude to reign.

We are not playing around.

We will be aggressive in seeking rest, healing and peace, for this is serious business.

Resting is our reparations, babe. Pour the love and compassion you need into your vessel.

We are justice and we are peace. We are a protest and a revolution.

Your rest is resistance, your joy is revolution, your dreams can change this world.

We are justice, we are peace, and we are a community at rest.