Kenyatta Muzzanni, 2023
I wish my life fit in a box, its contents easy to assemble.
Wish there were instructions, simple and direct. Like putting together a shelf.
Step 1
Make sure you have all the required pieces. Failure to assemble all the pieces correctly will result in instability.
Without instructions, my hands are restless. They fumble over job applications, late bills, safety caps on orange bottles.
Step 2
Attach your Morality piece into the Values port. DO NOT plug your Morality piece into the Economic Security junction: they are non-compatible.
Over time, I’ve learned that some lives don’t come with instructions. Some require time. Some require disassembly.
Who I’m becoming isn’t easily assembled.
Step 3
Look for your Life Path in the box. It looks similar to your Last Resort, but it’s not. Slide it into the Finite Time post. Repeat on each side.
Facing uncertainty, my insecurities manifest. Ignored calls. Curt responses. Unread messages. Deleted posts.
Step 4
Once the top is fully assembled, attach it to the base labeled Capitalism. Warning: Failure to assemble all the pieces correctly will result in instability.
At every forward step, an older iteration of me is clawing at my feet.
Screaming at all the ways I’m ruining my life. All the ways I’m wrong. All the ways I’m not enough.
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I am building as I grow without a reference. There is no comfort in uncertainty. Even if you’re the architect and the occupant; the dreamer and the dream.
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Without instructions, I’m restless. My hands are raw from wringing them over contracts, late
bills, safety caps on green bottles.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for purchasing our product, Late Stage Capitalism™️, proud member of the Post- Colonialism family. Remember: We’re all a family here 🙂
Come to think of it, I’ve never been good at putting together shelves anyway.
Kenyatta Muzzanni (she/they) is a Brooklyn-born, Black, queer, writer, organizer, and multidimensional being. Their writing blog, Muzzanni’s Multitudes, features articles, movement writing, commentary on culture, personal writing, poetry, new projects, and more You can find their blog online at
muzzanni.substack.com.
