Hello, loved ones!

Welcome to Resurrection Sunday... YAY!

It's um actually the first Sunday in a long time 
that I've gone to church.

Filmmaker, queer activist Emilio Rojas invited us 
to come to church with him this morning,

which was a really powerful, interesting experience,

and what's cool is that I met Emilio 
at the Bayard Rustin Symposium

last Sunday... last Saturday,

where I gave a keynote.

And part of the activity 
that we did in our keynote ritual

was based on this poem that I'm about to 
share with you by Audre Lorde.

It's called "When The Saints Come Marching In".

<i>Plentiful sacrifice</i>

<i>and believers in redemption</i>

<i>are all that is needed</i>

<i>so any day now</i>

<i>I expect some new religion</i>

<i>to rise up like tear gas</i>

<i>from the streets of New York</i>

<i>erupting like the rank pavement smell</i>

<i>released by the garbage trucks' baptismal drizzle</i>

<i>the high priests have been ready</i>

<i>and waiting</i>

<i>with their incense pans full of fire</i>

<i>I do not know the rituals,</i>

<i>the exaltations</i>

<i>nor what name of the god</i>

<i>the survivors will worship</i>

<i>I only know</i>

<i>she will be terrible</i>

<i>and very busy</i>

<i>and very old.</i>

So I love this poem.

I love the idea of what we can see 
as the new religion

coming up from the grimiest place.

The baptismal drizzle of the garbage trucks
on the pavement of New York City.

And how we can imagine 
a terrible, busy, old, female god,

whose high priests are ready and waiting.

So the assignment for this week

is to think about that.

What are the faith-transforming baptismal drizzles

experiences of funk

that you are present to

at this time in your life, 
at this moment in your community.

What is the dirtiness 
that is actually prompting you

to think about what you believe, 
to remember what you believe,

to feel empowered to create 
your own definition of divinity,

or a remembered definition.

Let me know!

I would love to hear from you,

and if you would like to talk more 
or have your own poem oracle,

the poem oracles we did at the Bayard Rustin
Symposium were off the hook,

and if you would like your own poem oracle,

check me out at:
summerofourlorde.wordpress.com

And have a beautiful week... AH!!!

Before I go!

In a couple of days it will be Audre Lorde's 
--would have been--

Audre Lorde's 80th birthday.

And over on the Feminist Wire 
we're having a forum...

Audre every day,

wonderful pieces from former students,
and chosen disciples of Audre Lorde,

poetry, essays, beautiful photographs,

that we'll be sharing.

So, come on over to School Of Our Lorde at
summerofourlorde.wordpress.com

and also check out the Feminist Wire this week for the Audre Lorde tribute.

Sending much love!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

MWAH!