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".
Plentiful sacrifice
and believers in redemption
are all that is needed
so any day now
I expect some new religion
to rise up like tear gas
from the streets of New York
erupting like the rank pavement smell
released by the garbage trucks' baptismal drizzle
the high priests have been ready
and waiting
with their incense pans full of fire
I do not know the rituals,
the exaltations
nor what name of the god
the survivors will worship
I only know
she will be terrible
and very busy
and very old.
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!