A belly so empty it roars
Like the desert drowning in its dryness, hungry for the gentle and violent embrace of the ocean, and in its mourning for his lover, he fills his stomach with the lost children of the earth: tombs everywhere, bombs everywhere
Nothing about the desert and his ways are forgiving, this violence is a cathartic release until Ocean makes her way to him
And held by her embrace, he will lose himself and she’ll be all that is a memory of him–loose grains of sand to show that her lover remains with her…
This is what emptiness is when it reaches for fullness
This is what emptiness is when it can no longer eat itself, it eats everything else
This is what emptiness is when it hungers for more, when it’s parched
This is what emptiness looks like when it’s on the other side of a mirage
As an artist, Patience Labane uses poetry and documentary to explore her own complex existence as a
Black, female, spiritual, queer, and depressed individual living within systems of religion and societal
norms. Her work seeks to give voice to the experiences of those who have been historically silenced and
marginalized, challenging the dominant narratives that maintain systemic oppression.
Through her poetry, Patience delves into the nuances of various life experiences, illuminating the
challenges and joys of navigating the intersections of identity. Her documentary through podcasting
work follows the journeys of prominent poets, highlighting their lives and the vital role that poetry plays
in our society.
With the release of her poetry podcast ‘Her Thoughts’, Patience is making her work even more
accessible, reaching a broader audience and creating a platform for more voices to be heard. Her
upcoming production ‘Conversations Between Personalities’ promises to delve even deeper into the
complexities of identity and existence.
Ultimately, Patience strives to create work that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, forging
connections between individuals and communities and fostering compassion and understanding.