flight lessons.

In walks a skinny brown skinned girl, 20 minutes late. Behind her the smell of trees and nag champa.

The blind counselor on campus stopped her earlier to inform her: "Young lady, you have a very confident walk."

"Thank you brother."

She strides into class, head held high and wrapped in fabric...

"I, Orishanla, am born of Olodummare, Uan Mariqueno. Olofi made me father and mother of the sky and of the earth. I was always sanctified and old. I was never able to be a child, to live the life of an ordinary woman...But I have my sixteen roads. I have humility. I am loving, vengeful, voluptuous, and simple. I am father, mother king, and queen. I am wise an serene. I am the mistress of destiny. (She laughs) And I am also nothing. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...this white hair of mine reflects all mysteries. I have the power of all minds, and I bring retribution to those whose minds are evil. One day the clear eyes of providence will be mine and then I will watch over everyone--the good and the bad. I will give to each what he deserves, the ones who create and those who destroy. And also, and this will come soon, I will give to all the forgiveness I have never refused my own children." -Excerpt from Shango de Ima by Pepe Carril

"She is too flip. Don't you have any elders around you that you could mimic?" says Baba.

"No. They all passed on before I came and when I was young. I don't have nobody."


"Obatala's hands wouldn't be on her hips and waving all around in the sky."

Is this man crazy? I'm a poet. I memorized this thing in an hour or two and everyone else is in here reading their parts off of the paper. I was late to class and still on point! And I'm HIGH!!! They suck. I'm the shit...too "flip"...huh!

"Where is your research?" He glares at me.

I was completely ignorant of Yoruba culture and the Orishas at the time. During this moment in my life I was still clinging on to the little bit of Israelite spiritualism that I still believed in (which was fading fast). I picked the part of Obatala while other students played what I thought were sad, worthless and boring roles. For the first time, I actually enjoyed smoking weed. I used to "tweek" out and vow to never get high again and it worked well until I met someone I really liked getting high with and that took the edge off. (Being alone with my thoughts is enough to ascend and sit on the highest clouds-- didn't need anything to enhance them).

Baba Ifantunji wore white on a daily from head to toe. He was the instructor of my Acting class at Chicago State University in the Spring of 2004. I signed up because I thought..."easy A". I could never figure him out. After class I once asked him, "Baba what is your zodiac sign?" I'm sure he's a mean and strict Taurus...yeah...or no...a complicated and unmoved Capricorn, that's it! I laughed to myself. His response: "I am all things."

AAAAAArrrrrrrrgh!!!! He be' getting on my nerrrrrrrrrves! Big time.

"You are going to fail this class simply by being late and absent. I am taking points off."

"Dang Baba...I wish I hadn't picked this part, it's too hard. Can I change it?"

"No. It's too late now."

I wanted to go back and forth with him on the subject but somehow knew that "No meant No" with him...I moved on...

Baba had little instances in which he would offer us the chance to receive extra credit by attending plays on campus. I recognized some of the sisters in the plays not only from on campus but from some of the movements going on outside of school. Some of these sisters would bring Baba baskets of fruit and I thought they were tripping out on something. Beautiful sisters swinging their hips, singing tunes and telling folk tales to the children in attendance. It was live...but for some reason I thought Baba hated me so I didn't give the class all I had.

Inevitably, I failed and to much surprise and shock to others within the class. I was shocked seeing how shocked they were.

Over the years, I hung on to that piece of paper (and as I did my research)slowly thoughts crept into my mind about how I may have been disrespectful, how Obatala was having fun with me and whooping my ass at the same time, how Baba knew, and how he also knew how badly I was going to come crashing down off of my high horse and learn humility. How did I manage to pass several tests without a textbook while being absent and not pass the biggest one of them all?

thank you Baba.