Responses to ROOT-ed on Joy

Responses to ROOT-ed on Joy
(Fauziya Johnson & Amber Akaunu from ROOT-ed published a series of poems on Joy for Independents Biennial 2021. Their purpose was to illicit responses and recollections of Joy in their readers. These are our responses.)

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53°32’44.1″N 9°58’13.2″E

Tiny Indoor Fireworks (Biffy Clyro).
Vanilla Oat Milk Cappuccino.
Embracing my Queerness.
Finding words that move something inside me so suddenly and powerfully, I notice I’m not the same person I was before I read them.
E.’s smile.
Franzbrötchen.

– Jo

To me, joy is getting up dead early and spending the day watching every Die Hard film. Sitting in bed and doing a bit of knitting while it’s pissing down after a long time. Making plans with mates I haven’t seen in ages. When you go to a gig and the lights turn off just before it starts. Seeing Jurgen Klopp on the telly. When I’m visibly upset and my dog comes and sits on my knee to comfort me. Managing to keep my plants alive.

– Elizabeth

I think Joy is quiet. I think Joy is the sort of quiet that knows there’s nothing on next.¶
Joy comes from solace. I think. Not Silence or solitude, but quiet confidence in what you’ve done, or what you are capable of doing.¶
That’s one form of Joy at least, which is rarer than it should be, but this is the last page, and I feel it.¶

– Patrick

– Harriet

NB: Matt was in Dublin curating a long overdue show the week
we did this. I imagine he found a lot of joy there