the Center

A Portrait & A Poem

Welcome to, from the desk of Rachel Leeke!

I share weekly on love + travel, including tidbits for the adventurous life you deserve. 

You can read my last piece, a letter to my Godson here, or the entirety of my work here.

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Self-portrait. (Harlem, NYC, April 21st, 2024)

I want to take a moment to ground.

It’s 12:07 p.m. the day before you’ll receive this. I’m drafting and will be into tomorrow night. The tea in front of me was room temperature an hour ago, and I’m mostly staring out the window as cars pass by.

The sky is overcast—a bright sheet of white—like the whole city has been stuffed inside the drawer of a copy machine. The air is crisp, and I see it’ll be another week before I can comfortably wear sandals outside. The radiator’s hiss reminds me heat is on the way.

I am home. I feel good.

Since my first post, I’ve been clear on why I write. I want to savor the goodness around me. This is a way to keep a record and capture life itself on the page. It takes intention, presence, immersion in the world, a willingness to seek, and the courage to share. In doing so, I’ve connected with people who want the same thing—a reminder of love’s potency and a jump-off point for adventure. It’s a privilege to know these offerings resonate.

It’s coming up on one year of writing for myself, and I feel I am hitting my stride. The more I show up, the less doubt I have. It’s a wonderful tradeoff. I’m in a season of not having to search for motivation or belief in myself.

It’s there.

Writing is fun, and knowing you choose to read along is pretty cool.

If you’ve ever liked, shared, or commented, thank you for your generosity. To those who email directly, you’re golden. Paid subscribers, you have my heart.

To tangibly support this publication, consider going paid, sliding me an iced coffee, or slapping a book on my desk.

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I sat down to write an essay, and a poem jumped out.

Today’s offering is in response to

Tobi

.

- thanks for making me think!

You can view the original Note here.

If you also have a question for me, drop it in the comments.

—

The center is the spotlight. 
the affirmative I 
exist

It's looking at myself 
and liking what I see 


I stand 
brow to brow
with who I know 
I'm meant to be 
It's squaring 
A match 
limb to limb 

an exam
ination 

the jewel above the head 

My senses are up too 
in the center 
I hear 
what you say 
and not my 
doubts

It’s a hovering above, a seeing of all sides. 

It’s the taking of 
no opinion
the abandoning of 
a stance. 

It's both 
soft 
and ridgid 

I am flesh
I am steel 
-

Til next week,

RL

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TODAY’S TIDBIT:

The NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 25th, in Detroit, Michigan.

Several teams are holding ~free~ family-friendly kickoff celebrations.

This might be a good way to connect with the football fanatic in your life or have a fun-filled evening with kids.

I’ve compiled a list of hosting stadiums, here.

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COMMUNITY CORNER:

Stanley Fritz

schooled me on ‘fridging’ and then connected it to hip-hop’s beef landscape in “‘Women’s Business’ Hip Hop, Rap Beef and Cannon Fodder.”

I live for poetry and prose that nails self-trust. “If I Have A Daughter” by

Nadia Meli

made me stand a bit taller.

“Bluey”, apparently, is more than meets the eye. Thanks,

Katie Clapham

.

As a bonus,

Amritavani

saw these 🥺 shaggy-haired beauties on a walk and shared a pic with me, so I’m sharing them with you.

You can view the original Note here.

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LET ME KNOW:

What’s your favorite memory of home?

Did you ever start an essay only for a poem to jump out?

Drop a 🌸 if you are rocking with me into year 2 of writing!

How do we feel about the switch up from “Tool” to “Today’s Tidbit”? Cute?

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More Writing :

Good for Me, Good for You

Just Beneath the Branch

There's No Place Like Iceland

Boundaries