Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGmNfDfUT5M Starts at: 02:56:27 (jump to 02:56:27)
Sister Fran — ‘Battlefield on the Brain’ & ‘Onward and Upward’ Poetry
[02:56:27] Good evening, everyone. [02:56:34] I don’t have strong stage presence, so please bear with me. [02:56:38] I’m working on my presentation skills. [02:56:41] So, the piece that I’m about to share tonight is called Battlefield on the Brain. [02:56:48] And it was written in April 2018 after I experienced a mental breakdown. [02:56:54] I was inspired to write this piece after watching an interview [02:56:56] with a woman who had a mental breakdown. [02:56:57] I was inspired to write this piece after watching an interview with Oprah [02:56:57] and Dr. Bruce Perry on 60 Minutes as they discussed a new trauma-informed approach [02:57:03] on childhood trauma instead of asking what’s wrong with you, ask what happened to you. [02:57:10] Battlefield on the Brain. [02:57:14] On April 16th, as we know it’s Emancipation Day, the day slaves were freed in Washington, D.C., [02:57:22] I had left my happy home in handcuffs battling anxiety. [02:57:26] I was given a life-threatening treatment for my mental disorders, OCD and PTSD. [02:57:31] I voluntarily admitted into a psych ward, emotionally drained and mentally exhausted. [02:57:37] I call it Battlefield on the Brain because literally I almost lost it. [02:57:44] My roommate was sent from the Peace Corps. [02:57:47] She was struggling with a bipolar disorder. [02:57:50] My other roommate was battling depression, so I barely got the chance to know her. [02:57:56] We laughed at her. [02:57:56] We laughed and we cried uncontrollably. [02:57:59] We shared our stories, then we wept. [02:58:02] Wandered the halls in our green gowns, took our meds, then we slept. [02:58:08] Thought about Oprah’s approach on childhood trauma while observing a dude who calls himself [02:58:13] Satan. [02:58:14] Instead of asking what’s wrong with that dude, I asked what happened to that patient. [02:58:20] Fix the hole in your soul. [02:58:23] Thank you. [02:58:26] Thank you. [02:58:27] Thank you. [02:58:28] This last piece that I’m about to share is called Onward and Upward. [02:58:37] My mother was complicit, working weekends and night shifts. [02:58:41] I was grown by a pedophile father who enticed me with nice gifts. [02:58:48] I carried the weight of the world, so I wasn’t the nicest. [02:58:52] Doing the inner work of my healing journey is priceless. [02:58:55] and journey is priceless so I reached out to a therapist she considered me a [02:59:01] crisis might just change the world one day but I feel like a flight risk [02:59:09] didn’t make it so in Yala to get my entire life fixed reached out to God [02:59:16] instead and he turned on the light switch I can see things clearly now [02:59:23] living my life righteous self-actualization I’m leveling up to [02:59:30] the highest thank you [02:59:48] it was David’s fault it was Dave’s fault [02:59:53] hey give it up for one more time y’all