I step in to make my ritual, to do what should have been done, what needs to be fixed, so that my spirit can move on. FADEL: Joy, this poem, "Washing My Mother's Body," and these first few lines, ...

For so long, I thought my joy had to be in resistance to those who want to erase me. Years ago, I had made a deal with myself: I made a choice to give my life to fighting for a just world.