Bri M., the host of Power Not Pity poses with Amali, the guest of this episode. Bri is adorned with glasses and wooden spiral jewelry. Amali wears a red hoodie with the words "Dream On, Dreamer". Both of them smile at the camera.
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Episode 4: "Finding the Rhythm" feat. Amali Maxine PhillipsAmali is a 10 year old with a lot of POWER! She is not only a published poet, She writes constantly, sometimes even writing on napkins. Her poetry is fun and tragic- but all of it will beckon your heart to her words.
We discuss her poetry, her inspirations, her writing process, and what her life is like with mild cerebral palsy. Stay tuned for her stellar description of her disabled superhero! [Transcript is available below the audio.] |
POWER NOT PITY
A podcast for disabled people everywhere...
Welcome to POWER NOT PITY, where we explore the lives of disabled people everywhere. Through storytelling, commentary and analysis, the podcast aims to amplify the lived experiences and perspectives of disabled people.
We’ll delve into all sorts of topics from education to entertainment, even sex... and we'll break down race, gender and dismantle ableism. And then we'll ask: “What’s your disabled power?” |
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
“My heart will glow
In all the ways to be.
Only if the words, like the flower,
in all the glory is my family.”
These are just some of the words of a poem from my next guests’ first book, Dear Parents, written by poet and DJ, Amali Maxine Philips!
Welcome to Power Not Pity, a podcast all about the lives of disabled people of color. We delve into all sorts of topics and feature disabled people of color from all around the globe! I’m your host Bri M and this is a really special episode! Come and take a journey with me!
At only 10 years old, Amali is already a published poet, and is versed in music production and knows how to play drums! So how did I meet this awesome kid?
I found out about Amali through a band coach at the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. It’s a week long program where kids get to choose and learn how to play their own instruments. By the end of the week, they all perform a song that they personally wrote! It’s pretty cool! I did the grown-up version, the Ladies Rock Camp. It was a great experience.
So yeah, I met Amali there and we made a date to talk.
A : I’m 10 years old and I was born in Chicago. I moved to New York when I was 4. I go to the School at Columbia.
B : What do you like to do with your free time?
A : I like to write. That’s what I do with my free time. I write stories, I write poems. Yeah I think that’s what I do most on the weekends.
B : Cool. What do you like about poetry?
A : Yeah, I like it because that’s the way like, I can like, express myself. I can, like, say in, like, words that mean something to me, that other people don’t know, like what it really means.
B : When did you start writing poetry?
A : When I was 4, I wrote my first poem in church. I wrote it while I was in church, and I just kinda saw what going on and wrote words about like, what it’s like and what happens.
B : …And what you like?
A : Yeah, just like, what happens and I kind of just write it over and over again, and I find, like, the rhythm of the poem. Yeah.
A : Uhm, usually my poems are, like, about things I can see and that’s something that, like, I can remember. It’s something that is, like, happening right in front of me.
Here’s one of Amali’s favorite poems, Little Red Notebook:
You lay
On the wooden table
Next to the
Kitchen
Waiting for
Someone to
Write a small
Poem
Inside of
You
But…
The
Little Red
Notebook
Feels lonely
Until a
Little girl
Grabs you
And
Writes a
Poem in you.
A : So like, the church poem, like, I wrote about what was going on in church, cuz it was right in front of me. And my other poems, cuz usually, at that time I can remember everything, and if I do it later I might not remember something very important that I have experienced.
B : I heard that you write on napkins, you do?
A : I do!
B : Do you do it all the time?
A : Yeah I do, I mean like, when I have ideas, I have to write it down so I don’t forget it. So sometimes I write on napkins or anything that is closest to me.
B : Do you write on church programs?
A : A lot.
B : What do you like about church?
A : well, uhm, I love church. So I help out, and we have like, presentations. If we’re doing the call to worship, we have to like, say what’s on the screen. I usually do that, or I run the microphones.
B : Oh wow!
B : Can we talk about your book? I’m so excited to talk about your book because I think it’s so cool!
A : Yeah.
B : So, why did you call it “Dear Parents”?
A : Well the poem that I wrote, like, that was the title, I was kind of thanking my parents for what they’ve done, like, all the years. How they helped me so much, and like, they inspired me to write all of the things that I do. They’re like, a really big part of my life and I want to tell them in a way, through a poem.
B : Each poem?
A : Yeah.
B : Tell me more about the hard times. Do you write when you’re feeling sad?
A : Yeah. A lot. I think it comforts me when I’m, like, sad or scared and it just calms me down, because I get to say what I’m feeling, not out loud, but in my words. Sometimes when I’m upset, or if I have an argument with my parents or something, I apologize with a poem.
B : Times are tough these days. Especially for disabled youth and adults. Did you know that medical costs are around 10 times higher for children with cerebral palsy? CP is also more common among Black children than White children. Just a little something to chew on. So here’s another poem by Amali, it’s one of my favorites: “So Hard”.
“So Hard” a poem written and read by Amali:
I hear things in
My brain
Daring Myself
To do
Something I
Can’t
I can’t.
Stop myself
from being negative.
I see girls
Around
My age
Doing everything right
I can’t
Do everything
Right
And I thought it was
Strange
But so many people
Are on my side
But I still feel insecure
I know I should
Keep being myself
Even though it’s
So hard.
B : I remember when I was a kid. I started reading when I was 4, and I wrote my first poem about a bunny and it was called “funny bunny”.
A : (laughs)
B : So what was your first poem like? Do you remember?
A : Yeah! My first poem was church and yeah, I just like, wrote down what was happening. It was like, this and this and this, and it described what happened in church. I was kinda like, all this preaching and talking and talking and standing. So my first poem was listing what was happening. And then my next poem was like formed into more of a poem. Cuz I think like, what I used to do before I wrote a poem was, like, listing what was happening, and then it formed into a poem, like the rhythm.
B : So you like the rhythm. How do you find the rhythm?
A : Well, I love music. For me, it’s really easy for me to get songs stuck in my head. Like, if I listen to, like a little bit, it can get stuck in my head and I think that, like, finding that rhythm and like having it and writing it down as a poem it’s pretty easy for me to find the rhythm. Sometimes I write my poems and then I make it into a song. Yeah.
B : That’s so great! I want to ask you about your songs.
A : Ok.
B : So I know you did Willie Mae (Willie Mae Rock Camp) right?
A : Yeah.
B : So you did it once, did you ever do it again?
A : I did it.. How many times? I did it three times, yeah, I started when I was eight, it was like, when I was eight. I really like Willie Mae cuz I get to play different instruments, learn about them and be in a band, I think it’s so cool that we only have one week to write a song, get the music and then perform it on stage. I think that’s so cool.
B : Yeah it’s really cool. I did the older version, the ladies rock camp, and it was so much fun. I got to be in my own band, I didn’t sing, I was the bass player. What kind of instruments did you play?
A : The first time I was drums, and the second time I was vocals, and the third time I was the DJ. I really enjoy making beats.
B : Oh you do? You are so cool! (laughs) What kind of beats do you make? Are they really loud?
A : Well, usually my beats have things, like, on top of things. I don’t make it too fast, I have things at a nice pace. Like, I don’t want it to be, like, too crazy but I don’t want it to be too subtle.
B : So it’s right in the middle. Cool cool… do you keep in touch with your band? Like are you still part of it?
A : No.
B : I didn’t keep in touch with my band either. So, speaking of like, classes. What are your classes like?
A : I like school but there are things that can be a little more tricky and some things that like, seem like, confusing, or something that I don’t understand, or if the homework is kinda hard. Like, I had a hard time with a homework assignment once, but then I got extra time and I got it done. Yeah. I think I’m doing pretty well in school. I had my parent teacher conference a few days ago.
B : How did it go?
A : It was good!
B : That’s awesome!
A : Yeah, I think everyone is really proud of me.
B : Do you write poems in class?
A : Yeah. We always have a poetry unit.
B : Do you read your poems out loud?
A : I mean I can, but I don’t really read my poems out loud. It’s harder to actually, like, say it in the way that I say it in my head. Yeah, I kinda want to learn how to do spoken word poetry but I don’t really know cuz, like, it’s kinda hard to say what I want to sound like out loud. I just can’t do it.
B : I know of a program that you could be a part of, that could help you. Part of it is for kids, it’s called Urban Word. Have you heard of that one? It’s really good.
Damon (Amali’s father) : I heard about it. Other than someone mentioning it. I should look into it.
B : Definitely check it out! A lot of people say it’s perfect for them. They were really, like, able to create a team and they would battle with each other, it’s really cool.
So I was wondering, if any of the classes are hard for you because of your cerebral palsy?
A : Yeah, I think the two subjects that are really hard are gym class can be hard sometimes cuz like sometimes I can’t keep up. We do some things that are, like, tricky. And the other one is dance. We do yoga in dance, and that’s very difficult for me and I don’t like it. I think I don’t like it because it’s difficult. But I think that it’s kinda hard, you know, you have to flexible, you have to move your body a lot, which is harder for me.
B : That’s hard for me too. Cuz I have to, like, get on the ground. Do you find that’s it’s hard to get on the ground?
A : Yeah, but I think, like, it’s harder for me getting up. It’s harder for me to get up smoothly. Sometimes I have to roll over and use my hand and knees to push myself up.
B : So when you were younger, did you have a hard time too?
A : Yes. I had the most hardest time. I had to wear braces and casts to school everyday. I wear them all the time, [they were] always comfortable. But I actually enjoyed my braces, cuz I thought like, even though they would hurt sometimes, and were very uncomfortable, I liked it because I like to show people like, what it’s like. I have to wear braces but I’m ok. I like my braces, but the one thing I didn't really enjoy were casts. I had to wear casts, I couldn't take a bath, I couldn't take a shower, I just, like had to sit out and I had to wear a boot on my cast. It was on both legs. So it was like, I really didn’t enjoy that. Especially, like at school.
B : It was hard when you were at school.
A : Yeah, cuz it was like, everything was ok! I was doing the same things that the other kids were, but the cast kinda slowed me down even more. So I didn't enjoy it that much. Yeah.
B : Pretend you’re a superhero. Can you see yourself as a superhero? Ok, so what’s your power?
A : So my power, me and my did came up with a superhero that has super speed because of her braces. She was so fast and she was like, faster than Flash, and all of the fast superheroes because of her braces. I dreamed about me being her because even though she has cerebral palsy she was an awesome superhero.
B : That is so cool! What else is she like?
A : She’s really strong because of her CP and I think like, Oh, and I also like, really liked her. I think I came up with something like, she had like, really neat handwriting because my handwriting isn’t very neat and I always want my handwriting to be very neat because one of my best friends has really neat handwriting and I really want that neat handwriting so my superhero has really neat handwriting.
B : Does she ever end up fighting anybody?
A : No. She is like, a neighborhood spy. She kinda, if there’s a robber in the neighborhood, she’s the one that finds them and catches them. Yeah.
B : Is there anything else you like about her?
A : Well, I like her. I thought it was really cool that no one knew that it was her. Anyone would like, think that she’s kinda weird, but they never knew it was her. Yeah.
B : What is she like when she’s not a superhero?
A : She’s very quiet and stays in the background, like, no one really notices her. And yeah.
B : Do you have anything else you want to tell me? Tell the people?
A : I usually, try to like, think about what happened at my birth cuz like, I don’t really know but I’ve seen pictures. I kind of like, think about what it was like. I think that like, it was like, nice! Yeah.
B : Ok. Were you as excited as I was to listen to Amali’s story? She’s amazing! Amali’s book, Dear Parents, is out now! You can find it on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com. What I appreciated most about Amali’s story is that she has the knowledge of what perseverance is. It’s clear that she knows her personal history and how it affects her present state of mind. I think it’s so cool to see how she expresses herself and reflects on her life through poetry. Well, let me leave you with the final poem of this episode, the eponymous “Dear Parents”.
A : Dear Parents
I thought I should
Make a
Letter for you, Dad and Mom.
Dear Mom and Dad,
You’re awesome!
Thank you
For
Everything. You
Make me smile
Bright and big
And laugh till you
Can just see my lips
Moving,
Love, Amali
B : Wanna know the latest things happening with Power Not Pity? Follow me on Facebook at Power Not Pity! I’m on Twitter and Instagram, come follow me there too. I’m on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Podbean and of course, powernotpity.com. Learn more about each guest and subscribe to my newsletter!
If you like what you hear and would like to keep the show going, please consider donating to my Patreon account! You’ll not only be keeping this disabled host alive, it would be honoring the oral tradition of storytelling and the togetherness that it brings. Scoot on over to patreon.com/powernotpity! Thanks so much for listening!
“My heart will glow
In all the ways to be.
Only if the words, like the flower,
in all the glory is my family.”
These are just some of the words of a poem from my next guests’ first book, Dear Parents, written by poet and DJ, Amali Maxine Philips!
Welcome to Power Not Pity, a podcast all about the lives of disabled people of color. We delve into all sorts of topics and feature disabled people of color from all around the globe! I’m your host Bri M and this is a really special episode! Come and take a journey with me!
At only 10 years old, Amali is already a published poet, and is versed in music production and knows how to play drums! So how did I meet this awesome kid?
I found out about Amali through a band coach at the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. It’s a week long program where kids get to choose and learn how to play their own instruments. By the end of the week, they all perform a song that they personally wrote! It’s pretty cool! I did the grown-up version, the Ladies Rock Camp. It was a great experience.
So yeah, I met Amali there and we made a date to talk.
A : I’m 10 years old and I was born in Chicago. I moved to New York when I was 4. I go to the School at Columbia.
B : What do you like to do with your free time?
A : I like to write. That’s what I do with my free time. I write stories, I write poems. Yeah I think that’s what I do most on the weekends.
B : Cool. What do you like about poetry?
A : Yeah, I like it because that’s the way like, I can like, express myself. I can, like, say in, like, words that mean something to me, that other people don’t know, like what it really means.
B : When did you start writing poetry?
A : When I was 4, I wrote my first poem in church. I wrote it while I was in church, and I just kinda saw what going on and wrote words about like, what it’s like and what happens.
B : …And what you like?
A : Yeah, just like, what happens and I kind of just write it over and over again, and I find, like, the rhythm of the poem. Yeah.
A : Uhm, usually my poems are, like, about things I can see and that’s something that, like, I can remember. It’s something that is, like, happening right in front of me.
Here’s one of Amali’s favorite poems, Little Red Notebook:
You lay
On the wooden table
Next to the
Kitchen
Waiting for
Someone to
Write a small
Poem
Inside of
You
But…
The
Little Red
Notebook
Feels lonely
Until a
Little girl
Grabs you
And
Writes a
Poem in you.
A : So like, the church poem, like, I wrote about what was going on in church, cuz it was right in front of me. And my other poems, cuz usually, at that time I can remember everything, and if I do it later I might not remember something very important that I have experienced.
B : I heard that you write on napkins, you do?
A : I do!
B : Do you do it all the time?
A : Yeah I do, I mean like, when I have ideas, I have to write it down so I don’t forget it. So sometimes I write on napkins or anything that is closest to me.
B : Do you write on church programs?
A : A lot.
B : What do you like about church?
A : well, uhm, I love church. So I help out, and we have like, presentations. If we’re doing the call to worship, we have to like, say what’s on the screen. I usually do that, or I run the microphones.
B : Oh wow!
B : Can we talk about your book? I’m so excited to talk about your book because I think it’s so cool!
A : Yeah.
B : So, why did you call it “Dear Parents”?
A : Well the poem that I wrote, like, that was the title, I was kind of thanking my parents for what they’ve done, like, all the years. How they helped me so much, and like, they inspired me to write all of the things that I do. They’re like, a really big part of my life and I want to tell them in a way, through a poem.
B : Each poem?
A : Yeah.
B : Tell me more about the hard times. Do you write when you’re feeling sad?
A : Yeah. A lot. I think it comforts me when I’m, like, sad or scared and it just calms me down, because I get to say what I’m feeling, not out loud, but in my words. Sometimes when I’m upset, or if I have an argument with my parents or something, I apologize with a poem.
B : Times are tough these days. Especially for disabled youth and adults. Did you know that medical costs are around 10 times higher for children with cerebral palsy? CP is also more common among Black children than White children. Just a little something to chew on. So here’s another poem by Amali, it’s one of my favorites: “So Hard”.
“So Hard” a poem written and read by Amali:
I hear things in
My brain
Daring Myself
To do
Something I
Can’t
I can’t.
Stop myself
from being negative.
I see girls
Around
My age
Doing everything right
I can’t
Do everything
Right
And I thought it was
Strange
But so many people
Are on my side
But I still feel insecure
I know I should
Keep being myself
Even though it’s
So hard.
B : I remember when I was a kid. I started reading when I was 4, and I wrote my first poem about a bunny and it was called “funny bunny”.
A : (laughs)
B : So what was your first poem like? Do you remember?
A : Yeah! My first poem was church and yeah, I just like, wrote down what was happening. It was like, this and this and this, and it described what happened in church. I was kinda like, all this preaching and talking and talking and standing. So my first poem was listing what was happening. And then my next poem was like formed into more of a poem. Cuz I think like, what I used to do before I wrote a poem was, like, listing what was happening, and then it formed into a poem, like the rhythm.
B : So you like the rhythm. How do you find the rhythm?
A : Well, I love music. For me, it’s really easy for me to get songs stuck in my head. Like, if I listen to, like a little bit, it can get stuck in my head and I think that, like, finding that rhythm and like having it and writing it down as a poem it’s pretty easy for me to find the rhythm. Sometimes I write my poems and then I make it into a song. Yeah.
B : That’s so great! I want to ask you about your songs.
A : Ok.
B : So I know you did Willie Mae (Willie Mae Rock Camp) right?
A : Yeah.
B : So you did it once, did you ever do it again?
A : I did it.. How many times? I did it three times, yeah, I started when I was eight, it was like, when I was eight. I really like Willie Mae cuz I get to play different instruments, learn about them and be in a band, I think it’s so cool that we only have one week to write a song, get the music and then perform it on stage. I think that’s so cool.
B : Yeah it’s really cool. I did the older version, the ladies rock camp, and it was so much fun. I got to be in my own band, I didn’t sing, I was the bass player. What kind of instruments did you play?
A : The first time I was drums, and the second time I was vocals, and the third time I was the DJ. I really enjoy making beats.
B : Oh you do? You are so cool! (laughs) What kind of beats do you make? Are they really loud?
A : Well, usually my beats have things, like, on top of things. I don’t make it too fast, I have things at a nice pace. Like, I don’t want it to be, like, too crazy but I don’t want it to be too subtle.
B : So it’s right in the middle. Cool cool… do you keep in touch with your band? Like are you still part of it?
A : No.
B : I didn’t keep in touch with my band either. So, speaking of like, classes. What are your classes like?
A : I like school but there are things that can be a little more tricky and some things that like, seem like, confusing, or something that I don’t understand, or if the homework is kinda hard. Like, I had a hard time with a homework assignment once, but then I got extra time and I got it done. Yeah. I think I’m doing pretty well in school. I had my parent teacher conference a few days ago.
B : How did it go?
A : It was good!
B : That’s awesome!
A : Yeah, I think everyone is really proud of me.
B : Do you write poems in class?
A : Yeah. We always have a poetry unit.
B : Do you read your poems out loud?
A : I mean I can, but I don’t really read my poems out loud. It’s harder to actually, like, say it in the way that I say it in my head. Yeah, I kinda want to learn how to do spoken word poetry but I don’t really know cuz, like, it’s kinda hard to say what I want to sound like out loud. I just can’t do it.
B : I know of a program that you could be a part of, that could help you. Part of it is for kids, it’s called Urban Word. Have you heard of that one? It’s really good.
Damon (Amali’s father) : I heard about it. Other than someone mentioning it. I should look into it.
B : Definitely check it out! A lot of people say it’s perfect for them. They were really, like, able to create a team and they would battle with each other, it’s really cool.
So I was wondering, if any of the classes are hard for you because of your cerebral palsy?
A : Yeah, I think the two subjects that are really hard are gym class can be hard sometimes cuz like sometimes I can’t keep up. We do some things that are, like, tricky. And the other one is dance. We do yoga in dance, and that’s very difficult for me and I don’t like it. I think I don’t like it because it’s difficult. But I think that it’s kinda hard, you know, you have to flexible, you have to move your body a lot, which is harder for me.
B : That’s hard for me too. Cuz I have to, like, get on the ground. Do you find that’s it’s hard to get on the ground?
A : Yeah, but I think, like, it’s harder for me getting up. It’s harder for me to get up smoothly. Sometimes I have to roll over and use my hand and knees to push myself up.
B : So when you were younger, did you have a hard time too?
A : Yes. I had the most hardest time. I had to wear braces and casts to school everyday. I wear them all the time, [they were] always comfortable. But I actually enjoyed my braces, cuz I thought like, even though they would hurt sometimes, and were very uncomfortable, I liked it because I like to show people like, what it’s like. I have to wear braces but I’m ok. I like my braces, but the one thing I didn't really enjoy were casts. I had to wear casts, I couldn't take a bath, I couldn't take a shower, I just, like had to sit out and I had to wear a boot on my cast. It was on both legs. So it was like, I really didn’t enjoy that. Especially, like at school.
B : It was hard when you were at school.
A : Yeah, cuz it was like, everything was ok! I was doing the same things that the other kids were, but the cast kinda slowed me down even more. So I didn't enjoy it that much. Yeah.
B : Pretend you’re a superhero. Can you see yourself as a superhero? Ok, so what’s your power?
A : So my power, me and my did came up with a superhero that has super speed because of her braces. She was so fast and she was like, faster than Flash, and all of the fast superheroes because of her braces. I dreamed about me being her because even though she has cerebral palsy she was an awesome superhero.
B : That is so cool! What else is she like?
A : She’s really strong because of her CP and I think like, Oh, and I also like, really liked her. I think I came up with something like, she had like, really neat handwriting because my handwriting isn’t very neat and I always want my handwriting to be very neat because one of my best friends has really neat handwriting and I really want that neat handwriting so my superhero has really neat handwriting.
B : Does she ever end up fighting anybody?
A : No. She is like, a neighborhood spy. She kinda, if there’s a robber in the neighborhood, she’s the one that finds them and catches them. Yeah.
B : Is there anything else you like about her?
A : Well, I like her. I thought it was really cool that no one knew that it was her. Anyone would like, think that she’s kinda weird, but they never knew it was her. Yeah.
B : What is she like when she’s not a superhero?
A : She’s very quiet and stays in the background, like, no one really notices her. And yeah.
B : Do you have anything else you want to tell me? Tell the people?
A : I usually, try to like, think about what happened at my birth cuz like, I don’t really know but I’ve seen pictures. I kind of like, think about what it was like. I think that like, it was like, nice! Yeah.
B : Ok. Were you as excited as I was to listen to Amali’s story? She’s amazing! Amali’s book, Dear Parents, is out now! You can find it on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com. What I appreciated most about Amali’s story is that she has the knowledge of what perseverance is. It’s clear that she knows her personal history and how it affects her present state of mind. I think it’s so cool to see how she expresses herself and reflects on her life through poetry. Well, let me leave you with the final poem of this episode, the eponymous “Dear Parents”.
A : Dear Parents
I thought I should
Make a
Letter for you, Dad and Mom.
Dear Mom and Dad,
You’re awesome!
Thank you
For
Everything. You
Make me smile
Bright and big
And laugh till you
Can just see my lips
Moving,
Love, Amali
B : Wanna know the latest things happening with Power Not Pity? Follow me on Facebook at Power Not Pity! I’m on Twitter and Instagram, come follow me there too. I’m on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Podbean and of course, powernotpity.com. Learn more about each guest and subscribe to my newsletter!
If you like what you hear and would like to keep the show going, please consider donating to my Patreon account! You’ll not only be keeping this disabled host alive, it would be honoring the oral tradition of storytelling and the togetherness that it brings. Scoot on over to patreon.com/powernotpity! Thanks so much for listening!