Oh, be gentle

Be gentle with your heart
It's the only one you've got
It's okay to hold it softly
to let the creases in your bending fingers cradle
its every pulse
You're alright, you're alright
All is right with this very moment
Even when your broken shows
and you can't control it all
You can slip in sidewalk puddles
And crawl into the safe spaces of
blankets warmed by another
You can throw up arms
in sweet surrender
There is a simple strength in refusing to be strong
You will carry on, you will carry on
Cast your burdens and She'll carry them home
It's okay to not want to be known
To claim your invisibility for a moment of peace
Do not hide your beauty
-the very beauty of being alive
Feeling the fullness of life
The hard, hard moments of wishing you could let go
and the sweetness of coming back home
to flickering candlelight that smells of
vanilla and sandalwood
You are light, you are light
Take the risk and do not catch your fall
After all, there is a sweet bliss
in waking to the falling rain
And knowing it is not okay
but it does not always have to be
You are whole, you are whole
Held by the sweetest Peace you'll ever know
Days will come and days will go
And trusting your lungs will keep breathing
is just the place to start
Be gentle with your heart

Hands

To the North Park student at the Sex Signals improv show who said that sometimes "no" means "yes" 

Rape is not a joke
There is no punchline in being punched by
objectification
Having no final say in
the state of your body
Hands should be helping, uplifting
instead of holding hips in
parenthesis
Whispers are not any less than
the screams of no, please

There is no power in taking hold of another's hope
There is no love in force
We teach hemlines to be longer
instead of telling hands to stop
Why do we say things are okay in the dark
That alcohol makes someone
not human at all

That's what you suggest
when you violate identity
Consent is not sexy, it is necessary
Victim blaming
Slut shaming
Not naming the cause of the pain
The misuse of bodies scattered on floors
We ignore the disease until symptoms show
and threaten our reality

May we be
the ones who sing sing light in dark places
Created as safe spaces
May we rest in the One whose hand is over everything
The One who weeps over
Her children's pain
May we hold close the hearts that are still healing
We are all still healing

Shattered but running
Let us keep running
Never letting the hurt hide behind closed doors
May we never ignore the voices that cry out
The brave souls and feet that walk
streets of recovery
Mourning with those who mourn
May we dare to live in abundance of peace