Moments. Words. Matter.

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A Post a Day in May 29/31

“Live in the moment” — simple, elemental advice, yet deeply challenging to embody. Whose moment am I living in? Not the woman’s in Ukraine, where every moment has been stolen from her by an evil force across the border. If I live in my moment, on the sunny shore of the lake where all is peace, how can that be just, be justified, in this wicked world? To live in my moment, without my mind reaching out into others’, feels blinkered not enlightened. To live in this moment, here, now, and not to leak into tomorrow’s moments, there, not yet, means what? That tomorrow will take care of itself without my force to make it so? The Uvalde children and their teachers have had every moment stolen from them. They no longer live in any moment. Yet I have moments. May I live in them wisely.

———

The world is aflame
And all I have is words.

Not true,
I have a body.

Sticks and stones (and guns) will break my bones,
but words will never hurt me.

Not true:
Words matter
Words incite
Words hurt
Words heal.

But words are not enough:
Greta knows. Jane knows.
They put body to words,
make mountains move.

So, speak words.
Write words.
Move body.
Make change.
Now.
Today.
This moment.

Lives depend on it:
Words matter
when the world is aflame.

———

Land acknowledgement: I respectfully recognize that I live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

Comments

  1. PamelakatMay 29, 2022 at 3:32 PM

    Thank you for this, Amanda. Your words are sad, but also uplifting. <3

    ReplyDelete

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