We gather to celebrate
and honour revolutionary love,
replace the love we’ve grown up on
a hallmark kinda love;
a love defined by man loving woman,
woman loving man love;
a chocolate, flowers and champagne love;
a dinner for two love;
get the kids a babysitter love;
damn its valentines and I didn’t get a gift love;
alone and not enough love.
Instead we gather.
and call our names,
mirror and move,
embody the other.
Instead we listen to our stories:
love, rage, hope, forgiveness, freedom;
we request more, listen deeper, witness further.
Instead we dance.
We dance on behalf of each other,
the wounded and wonderful
Instead we lay out on the floor and drink up
Civil Rights Activist,
Valerie Kaur,‘Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage’
and we snap our fingers,sigh,and whisper
yes, yes, yes;
push and labour,labour and push
Instead we let the magic of the talking circle
witness one another
holy silences,
revered pauses,
courageous considerations.
Instead we break bread together;
sorrel and fruit cake,
curried rice and cucumber,
fruit salad and pumpkin bread,
devilish eggs and dal.
Instead we leave one another
with embraces lasting longer
then a second,
I love you’s
lingering
in mouths and minds
and we embody
this kinda love,
revolutionary love.
written by Maureen St.Clair