Fill the Bowl: Solidarity Against Famine

Last week, inspired by the empty bowl awareness raising campaign created by Mothers for Ceasefire and in acknowledgement of the interconnected systems depriving our beloveds in Gaza, Sudan, Congo and Haiti of the basic conditions of life, we gathered in solidarity against famine guided by June Jordan’s poem “Focus in Real Time.” Jordan (in this poem and always) pushes us to examine our relationship to the possible, our relationships with each other, our relationship to the unimaginable. We wrote poems of who and how and possibility and commitment and our final group poem (below) is a prayer of nourishment and adoration. You will increase its power when you read it aloud.

We sent the proceeds of this workshop to The Sameer Project, a donation based organization addressing the basic needs of our siblings in Gaza. If you missed the opportunity to write with us (and June) and you still want to donate feel free to donate directly to The Sameer Project or participate in the replay workshop here.

Fill the Bowl

by the participants in the “The Hands That Hold the Bowl”: June Jordan and Solidarity Against Famine benefit for the Sameer Project

            “Who would adore the hands that held the bowl…

              Who will write about the hands that hold the bowl…”

                                    -June Jordan “Focus in Real Time”

Adore the breath

            Hold the hands

            Adore the seeds

            Adore the muscle

            Open the hands

            Reach out to the hands

            Adore the heart

Heal the hands

            Uncruel the hands

            Adore this opportunity

            Soften the hands

            Abhor the hands that tighten and horde

            Hold the hands that are too small to understand

            Adore hope that tunnels through sand

            and sends lentils and rice from sea to land

            Adore the life  

            Adore Mahmoud

            Mahmoud...the hands

            Adore the question

            Adore the plants

            Adore the trees

            Adore the water

            Wash the hands

 Adore all life

            Hold on hold tight hold out

            Adore the winds

            Adore the butterflies

            Unanswer the hands

            Adore the humming birds

            Heal the hands.

            The grief the hands

            Bravery the hands

            Adore the view

            Adore the humming that chants in your chest

            Adore the song that sings across time across the hands.

            Adore the hands

            Adore the nourishers

            Free the hands

Adore our freedom

            Wash the hands

            Without question, the hands

            Adore them

            Adore the doors, open

            Remember Grandma’s hands

            Allow the hands

            Learn the hands

            Read the hands

            Listen to the hands

            Let the hands speak

            Be the hands

            Follow the hands

            Let the hands be courageous

            Adore the silence

            Empty the hands fill the bowls

            Adore the children’s  laughter, lightness, love.

            Adore the breath

            Breathe into the hands

            Feel what the hands feel

            Adore the sky,

            Blue and calm like before,

            like after,

            Like now sometimes

            Lick the bowls and give thanks

            Adore the moment

            Adore the breathing

            Adore the hands

If you missed the opportunity to write with us (and June) and you still want to donate feel free to donate directly to The Sameer Project or participate in the replay workshop here.