Portland: Last call to sign-up for my in-person series in June. Details below!
Hello Reader,
On May Day, I drove an hour to Salem to volunteer for an annual march organized by PCUN (Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste), a farm workers rights organization.
I get nervous about the volatility of large public crowds, but my desire to support this event was a full embodied “yes.” I was seeking collective joy and tenderness.
In a podcast, Ross Gay shares, "Joy has nothing to do with ease. Joy has everything to do with the fact that we’re all going to die […] Joy is the moments when my alienation […] goes away, it shrinks […] everything becomes luminous.”
I ate a large breakfast ahead of time. I put peppermint oil on the back of my neck, a sensory tool I use to support my sensory overload. I drank water and threw on a large sunhat and face mask.
The Capitol Steps plaza transformed into a gathering space with booths, food vendors, and a grassy area shaded by trees. The march kicked off with music, danza, blessings, and bilingual speeches. The event was peaceful, powerful and joyous.
Volunteers wore different colored vests to indicate our roles. My red vest indicated the “community care” role where my job was to hold onto an infinitely long smooth rope. Every ten feet or so, another volunteer also held onto the rope.
Together we kept the rope taut, a guide as our hundreds of bodies became one flowing body. The rope shaped our way, so we didn’t spill into oncoming traffic. We watched for signs of danger or distress, and passed out water bottles.
The bilateral stimulation of walking calmed me. I got chills surrounded by multi-generational strangers moving together for human rights with love, wit, rage and humor. My throat was happy to join the call and response of bilingual chants.
Together, we became luminous.
Reflection
Can you remember the last time you noticed a luminous moment? What were the sounds and sensations that surrounded you? Do you remember the temperature of your skin? Perhaps the flavor of a yummy food? The pulse of bass? The levity of laughter?
Resources
My Creative Updates & Offerings
Somatic Sometimes: in-person workshop series at 10 a.m. PT three Saturday’s June 7, 14, 21, at Atrium, The Breathe Building, 2305 SE 50th Ave., Portland, OR. Not sure if this is the right fit for you? Reply here with any questions.
I wrote “Boca del Lobo,” a lyric essay that touches on immigration, violence and transcendent love. I continue to submit this piece to seek the right publishing home for it. Alongside multiple rejections, I got news of a 2024 honorable mention from the CRAFT Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest judged by Donald Quist alongside The Tusculum Review Nonfiction Chapbook Prize, judged by Mary Capello. The search continues.
Community & Care
For the mama writers, here’s some quotes including one from prose writer and poet Sayuri Ayers.
A new collection of When We Exhale: An Anthology of Black Women Rooted In Ancestral Medicine featuring a new meditation from writer R.R. Scott.
Artist and chef Ramon Shiloh has a GoFundMe for Honoring Leonard Peltier's Journey with a Healing Feast.
Do you love tea… and drag kings? Here’s a tea tasting box fundraiser for Drag King History with Callisto Tea House.
Disability justice resources since in-person protests aren't safe or accessibile for all: Teen Vogue on How to Be an Activist When You're Unable to Attend Protests, The Commons on Making Protest Accessible: Tips and Checklists for Actions, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha on Cripping The Resistance: No Revolution Without Us.
Soft Pants for Your Mind
As someone who loves wine and therapy (though not at the same time), this comic series made me laugh, "Why White and Red Grapes Need Therapy (Apparently)."
Dianna Lopez, Seaside Frequencies (1hr) - Healing Guitar Music - For Creative Focus, Calm, and Stillness.
Notes & Citations
https://pcun.org/
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/01/farmworker-immigrant-rights-protest-may-day-salem-pcun/
Ross Gay—On the Insistence of Joy, from On Being with Krista Tippett. The quote I mention is around the 8:34 minute mark.
Let’s resource! Let’s play! Let’s happen to notice, together.
In peace,
Vanessa Micale
Founder of Poderosa Voz LLC
(she, they, ella)
P.S. You can show your support by sharing this micro-newsletter with a friend, or you can send me a digital tip and treat me to a pastry.
P.P.S. Sharing resources is one of my love languages. Is there a resource related to somatic and creative realms you want to see or you know of? Hit reply and let me know.
