poetry and a purpose
poetry and written works by Jadyn “machiinegunfunkk” Hardie-Bardy
Jadyn "machinegunfunkk" Hardie-Bardy, is a queer Mohawk and Jamaican poet and prevention worker living in Tkaronto. Since opening professional doors Jadyn has journeyed many paths…
every natural place is sacred.
Lake Ontario was once filled with sacred offerings of gratitude and loons.
now littered with unappreciation and takeout containers
lay a waterway
which my people travelled upon leaving and returning home.
I’ve heard stories of its ability to wrap waves around torso.
submerging the longest follicle of hair on your head to the longest nail on your toe
in its feeling of returning to the womb since birth.
had my own baptism of sorts,
laid in its sacredness and washed with cedar on arrival.
I gave my life to Ohné:ka,
and she’s been so kind to forgive
even myself
for the loss of honour brought to her birthing story.
one that transcends its way even to my womb.
a womb unsure of its conceivability
weighing the possibility of violence against my river
while watching lakes become purposely polluted.
I remember coming to the understanding that
if this womb held spirit, I’d find fear
by the palpitations of my heart
set off at the slight and simple mention of motherhood.
one morning I sat atop a concrete slab swaying in rhythm with the waves
as I observed humanities interaction with Ohné:ka
I realized my fears stemmed deep
rooted below soil floors like lilypads
my fears invaded my mind
how could I, Jamaican and Onkwehón:we celebrate creation
at the same time, I measure probability of premature death.
in body or spirit,
wonder whether my child’s birth will cause hospital alerts,
or what will become of the child who survives me?
me if I survive them?
like the mothers of black boys from the hood
or the mothers of indigenous daughters stolen
I write this as I bear witness to babies rotting under rubble that carries generational stories of handpicking olives in the glow of the falling leaves moon,
generational genocide happening across the world.
our future, their target
so perpetration of pollution persists
breaking down sacred bodies once called
home
and still, the pressures of colonial expectations placed on my womb exist
heavy-handed like an iron fists
sitting on that concrete slab i’d ask myself to whom do I belong?
dipped my toe into Lake Ontario and recalled teachings of ohenten kariwatekwen;
my words before all else,
even before writing this poem
nia:wen ohne’ka
nia:wen ohne’ka
nia:wen ohne’ka
nia:wen ohne’ka
for sustaining this scared body
i call home
long before my spirit accepted skin as temple
i’ve travelled generations to find home in the ocean i know i am
and as i individually pick out each piece of pullution left as warfare against my kin
ohne’ka, i hope you hear me when i cry
nia:wen, for forgiving me.
conversations with creator pt.1. Toronto Poetry Slam Featured Artist, 2024
an exploreation of grief (a project in progress)
Jadyn explores grief through memory and senses. As she gains an understanding of her grief, she uncovers the love she is ready to give in lumped throats and tear-stained, swollen eyes. In this physical realm, though she may no longer be able to deliver her love to those lost or gone, she learns to honour her navigation of life, love, loss and grief through spiritualities and community.
machiinegunfunk experiences
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Performance
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Workshops
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every natural place is sacred, Shapes and Forms of resistance, 2024
natural beauty in its rawest form
my roots keep me uplifted..
water trickles down my stem creating contact with the land connecting life with it’s birther.
i help to bring beauty to their being.
leaving the hands that planted us proud.
in a storm standing taller than i ever thought i could,
i know the creator of these greens holds me upright
saving energy so i can focus on me.
get the water to the roots, get the water to the roots.
i stand knowing that once the rain washes me clean
i must honour them,
for keeping these leaves bound to the ground that we strive on.
my roots keep me strong…
feeling the fingers of auntys’ dance through these kinks and curls
covered in oils full of nutrition.
castor and tea tree lathered onto these follicles,
i begin to believe in their magic.
i help to bring beauty to their being.
leaving the hands that tend to us with confidence.
during days dedicated to wash, i spring with joy.
nurture your roots nurture your roots.
carrying generations of grandmothers in these braids,
i grow with glory.
thankful for their resistance through rebellion against society
my roots keep me calm…
as the descendants of my originators gather in their spirits
bliss starts to rumble through stomps and rattles.
i help to bring beauty to their being.
leaving the hands that passed down
these teachings and traditions with pride.
fighting through decades of genocide, i continue on resilient
knowing youth will need guidance. parents, hope.
don’t take these roots for granted. don’t take these roots for granted.
as the day dawns and spirits wake, my values remain.
honouring my forebears for the fruits that they’ve grown.
may they rest knowing their soul still beats through mine.
my roots keep me grounded…
as my illustration is drawn out in words, my adventure into
this world commences.
i travel through the homes of this city, influencing enticing conversations.
i help to bring beauty to their being.
leaving the hands that paved a way for this future with peace.
in times of confusion and despair, the creator of these rhymes rises.
reminding each swoop and swirl the power of their being.
listen to your roots. listen to your roots.
when this pen can no longer muster the strength to dance across the page,
i recall the stories of my community’s advocates.
replicate the sounds of their battle calls so that they know,
in this fight they’re no longer alone.
Jadyn "machinegunfunkk" Hardie-Bardy, is a queer Kanein’kéha:ka and Jamaican poet, and prevention worker living in Tkaronto. Since opening professional doors Jadyn has journeyed many paths including self-publishing her first chapbook entitled, i am a wandering spirit. Jadyn was a featured artist of R.I.S.E. Edutainment's Legal Artivism Residency, Global News’ TRC social highlights, Give and Grow's Alley Oop Project and many more.
Jadyn uses her art to connect with youth navigating judicial and child welfare systems. Advocating through cultural arts and lived experience speaking, her work explores cultural connections, destigmatizing monoliths, grief, healing and overcoming adversity faced while navigating colonial institutions.
Jadyn guest taught at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Social Work in 2022 and 2023 and continues to speak across Ontario to advocate amongst stakeholders and child welfare workers for a better future for youth in care. In 2024, Jadyn was a poet featured at the National Arts Center: Hip Hop Theatre's BlackOUT Night, as the only youth amongst National poets in a show entitled "The Old Black Maple." She spent much of 2024 teaching in classrooms and communities. As Jadyn's work continues to expand, she hopes to use oral storytelling to share lived experiences, advocate for change, and create spaces to nurture intergenerational conversations and art.