in memoriam: Sinead

a country riven
in beliefs and oppression of women
represents a world in the same pain.
what they didn’t know is that
oppression of women
is oppression of all.

you spoke truth
and you never backed down
and for this you paid
with your very self

past
present
future

you saw yourself erased
effaced
mutilated
defamed
distorted
hacked to bits
and reconstructed into a monstrous being
but they could not take from you
even in this
the core of you
your beauty
your truth
you

we saw
we still see
you

and we rejoice
we join our voices
our hearts
our hands
our broken bones
our rags of skin
our tattered cloths
our patchwork histories
our glimmers of pasts
our forgotten strength
our lineages tangled and undone, unwoven
our beaten down beings
our oppressed existences
compressed into vapors of what could be
memories so burdened with the complexities of existence
that we have forgotten joy ….

except that we feel it in your voice
we are kin
we ARE kin
we are KIN

and we
will
not
let
go
feel our warmth

to us
you are not alone
you are beloved
we give you strength
and you will always be
we are with you,
beloved
until you no longer need us
now
on this
and ever
your new journey
ever and forever
and even then, some of us will stay the watch
until the end of time
and beyond, sister
sister, dear
shhhh, sister, shhhh
sister, shhhh
we are
sister, I am
here. we are
here,
here. we
I am
are
here,
here.
I am
here,
here
take
I
our
am
hand.
here.
I
(am so sorry)
I
(was AM so ignorant)
am
I
(had no understanding, my past was stolen from me)
am
here
I
(my mother’s and father’s pasts were stolen from them too, and their parents’ and their parents’ parents’, and in their grief and loss, they broke. they didn’t mean it oh, goddess they didn’t mean it but they passed on to us some of the pain and shadow and hurt, some without name.)
am
here
take
I
(my sisters and my brothers too … we have no complete memory. no one knew what to do then, and we have no complete understanding now. some could only grieve while others, also grieving, called out but found no kind reception.)
am
here
take
my
I
(what kind of world is this? and what world are we making it? can we not make a kinder, gentler one?)
am
here
take
my
hand.