Living, love,
the sum of all we might become
soul rings, soul sings,
a joyous clamour
in the ears of the One Who Loves Us.
Love each other as I love you.
Too true for us to do.
Love is denied. Love has died.
From here the view says:
Love died for nothing.
But a rainbow arcs across the sky
and our gaze is raised to its promise.
Talitha Fraser
love begets love
be love
love begets love
love gets love
love begets love
begets love, begets love
love be
love begets, love begets, love begets
get love
Joined with the eternal transcendent
Love forms one with our body.
The humble praxis of my body
saves a seat at the table for You.
I’m just doing me
In wilderness and desert we will make a home
and grow the land of promise where
milk and honey flow.
I’m just doing me
Words of my mouth naming and knowing
because there is one Word, one Body, one Liturgy
for our longing, our life, our love.
I’m just doing me
The Word is being made flesh now
being filled with Divine Breath now and
living that out. Standing here,
with the Other in their otherness,
solidarity affirms life – of others and myself –
thanks to You.
I’m just doing me
Sojourner Truth calls out:
“Ain’t I a Woman?”, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
and the women answer: “YES!”
I am the Other.
I’m just doing me
It doesn’t matter if you’re in the garden or
renovating that old house but that you have that
indoor/outdoor flow calling you to contribute your
best self, calling you to contribute, calling you too…
and you shrug, …whatever
I’m just doing me
Sometimes I wish my eyes hadn’t been opened
But my heart says ‘yes’ and my feet say ‘go’.
In veiled resistance I make you question what
You think you see, what you think you know about me.
My weapon my very invisibility.
I will not conform to your norms or your gaze.
Angels fell and still…
I’m just doing me
Faithful women stand and say:
I have not lost my voice today.
I’m just doing me
Talitha Fraser
A poet-in-residence reflection on some highlights from the Saturday workshop sessions at the “With All Due Respect” conference.
because of but despite
Talitha Fraser (in the style of RD Laing)
Cut, cut, cut, cut…
I thought death by a thousand cuts
was a good way to live but
it may merely be that’s
a bad way to die.
This is my blood poured out for you.
I want it to count for something.
I’m sorry I can’t be everything you need.
I’m sorry I can’t be everything I want.
Talitha Fraser
You want to lie
to cover up what you
think of as incompetency,
letting people down…
That’s a narrative that
reassures who you want
to be to yourself.
Selfish is closer to the truth,
sinful is closer to the truth,
human is closest to the truth.
When did being human become
something you had to lie about
and “cover up”?
Talitha Fraser
A man struts
the ramp to the platform
pausing here and there
to strike glamour-pose
between gyrating dance moves
and smooth hip-swinging
and off-key singing.
I smile, everyone smiles.
What a Monday morning.
What a beautiful morning.
Talitha Fraser
As courage falters
I turn to You.
I know better now
than to hope
for answers.
I hope merely
for company.
Talitha Fraser
I have believed
in things unseen
for as long as I
can remember
I remember fairies,
Borrowers, Father Christmas,
and more…
In the believing
one knows
the power of things unseen
to work to our good,
and the good of others,
whether they believed or not.
The seeds of faith were born here,
among flowers and thimbles,
cycles and stockings,
the seeds of faith were born.
Talitha Fraser
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