#OCCUPY CAPITALISM
 
 
WE FEEL THE TOXINS WE FEEL THE DANGER

WE HEAR THE CHILDREN WE SEE NO FUTURE

WE BEDBOUND GENDERBOUND JAILBOUND

WE HOMED & UNHOMED WE THIS SACRED FIRE

WE WISH WE COULD GIVE ALL

WE LONGING TO GIVE

WE A CELEBRATION

WE WISH WE KNEW HOW

WE FEEL A TASTE OF IT, FREE

WE HUNGER LOVE STRONGER

WE SOUNDING THIS LOUDER

WE SMELL A NEW DAWN

WE TASTE THIS NEW POWER

WE STEWARD WE SHELTER

WE SIT WE STAND WE ROLL WE STROLL

WE LIGHT UP OUR BRIDGES

WE LIGHT UP THE SCREENS

WE WITNESS WE PRAY WE GATHER

WE FIND NEW KINDNESS

WE PAUSE

WE KISS THE GROUND

WE SNAKE THROUGH THE CITY

WE MARCH WE CHANT WE MIC WE SIGN

WE LINK ARMS & WE REMEMBER

WE OSCAR GRANT & WE FRANK OGAWA

WE STILL TROY DAVIS

WE SCOTT OLSEN

WE BLEED WE FEED WE WEEP

WE RESPIRE

WE TOOK BACK TO THE STREETS

WE RAW WE TENDER WE SORE ALL OVER

WE CARESS OUR LOVERS

WE FACE NIGHT’S DREAM

WE WORRY WE WITNESS

WE REMEMBER EACH RUPTURE

WE TEND WE MEND WE RECONVERGE

WE BACKLASH BLUE WE NINA’S LANGSTON HUGHES

WE KNEW IMPROVISATION

WE KNEW CHOREOGRAPHY

WE NEW PRACTICE

WE UNDRESS WE UNPOSE

WE NEW HUMILITY WE NEW POWER

WE UNRAVEL WE FULL IN WONDER

WE UNSCHEDULE

WE STILL RITUAL

WE INHALE WE HOLD OUR BREATH

WE KNOW BEAUTY

WE KNOW COURAGE

WE KNOW LEGACY

WE EXHALE

WE KNOW THIS BREATH

WE SKIN WE TINGLE

WE BONE WE MINGLE

WE SONG WE DANCE

WE PRAY WE BODY

WE 1987 WE 1969

WE INTIFADA WE INHERITANCE

WE INVOKE SYLVIA, ALIVE AND PRESENT IN THIS SPACE

WE KNOW MAYBE YOU WERE THERE

WE HONOR WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS! AND

WE’RE TIRED OF RUNNING!

WE MEMORY WE MUSIC

WE MAKE NEW RHYTHM

WE NEW HORIZON

WE DON’T KNOW OURSELVES

WE ARE LOSING SHAPE

WE STILL HOLD THE RAGE

WE STILL MAKE THE TABLE

WE STILL WATER GARDEN

WE WALK OUR DOG & PUSH THE STROLLER

WE DECIDE WITH STRANGERS & MEET A THOUSAND NEW NEIGHBORS

WE WAIT FOR FRIENDS WE DON’T KNOW COMING OUT THE JAIL DOOR

WE WAIT FOR OUR LOVES WHO CAN BRAVE FLASHBANGS & TEAR GAS

WE TRY TO TUCK OURSELVES TO SLEEP

WE DON’T WANT TO MISS IT

WE WAIT FOR THIS LOVE TO HOME FROM-WITH THE STREETS

WE ARE STILL

WE STILL WHISPER

WE STILL WONDER IF THERE WILL BE A PLACE FOR US

WE LAND IN BODY

WE OCCUPY OUR OWN LONGING

WE REMEMBER THE ISOLATION

WE KNOW EXPLOITATION

WE HOLD ITS SHAPE

WE’VE LEARNED TO CONTAIN IT

WE UNKNOW THIS BODY WITHOUT IT

WE KNOW WE DON’T WANT IT

WE LOSING SHORE

WE CARESS THE TIDE WE CARESS THE BREATH

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO FEEL THE NECESSITY
OF GENDER LIBERATION FOR ALL PEOPLE

WE HOLD EACH OTHER

WE ARE CHANGING WE ARE CHANGED

WE SEE MORE OF OUR INVISIBLE SELVES

WE LONG FOR EACH OTHER BUT

WE HAVE NOT REACHED THE HUMAN WEARING POLICE UNIFORM

WE FEEL OPENED WE STILL PROFIT WE STILL OWN THINGS BUT

WE CAN TASTE IT

WE WILL LISTEN WE WILL PLAY

WE WILL TREASURE EACH OTHER

WE WILL NOT OUT SOMEONE WITHOUT CONSENT

WE WILL NOT KNOW CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

WE ALL WILL UNKNOW SHAME

WE SEE & FEEL EACH OTHER

WE ARE REMEDY

WE KILL DESPAIR

WE UPHEAVAL

WE’VE RACED OUR HEARTS

WE’VE SURGED THIS SPIRIT

WE RISK & CANNOT RISK & YET WE RISK AGAIN

WE 1946

WE STRIKE THE CLOCK

WE HONOR FIRST NATIONS

WE UNBIND GENDER

WE EVICT TIMEBODY

WE DISABLE “WORK”

WE FREE FROM CAPITAL AND STILL

WE THE BROKEN CHILDREN WHO CRY & WAKE AND KISS & BREAK

WE RETURN FROM BREAK WE BREAK THE OLD PATTERNS

WE FACE THE FEAR WE FACE THE RAIN

WE RAIN HARDER

WE HEAR EGYPT WE FEEL NYC WE KNOW ATLANTA

WE TAKE DOWN THE FENCES WE REMAKE IT BEAUTY

WE THE WORSHIP WE THE HOUR

WE NOURISH THIS CHURCH WHERE

WE FLUENT LOVE & EASE WHAT FEAR

WE HOLD EACH SACRED WE HOLD THIS SACRED BECAUSE

WE ARE THE ONES WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

WE WHO SEE THE POLICE WE NOW ARE BIGGER

WE DON’T AFRAID & WE TAKE PLEASURE

WE WITH BROKEN BACKS & WE WITH BROKEN HEARTS

WE WHO LOST OUR HOMES TO BANKS & BULLDOZERS

WE WHO DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE SETTLERS

WE HAVE NO FUTURE, SCREAMS THIS TOILING LANDBODY

WE THE 99% ARE NOT PROTESTING WE RECLAIMING

WE KEEP GOING

WE ARE MOURNING WE THE LAUGHTER

WE IN JUMMA

WE ARE PRECIOUS

WE BREATH

WE HERE

WE OCCUPY-UNOCCUPY-DECOLONIZE

100%

THIS WHOLE BODY

 

 

Notes:

Italicized and non-italicized text borrowed from and/or response to work and recent words of comrades writing in solidarity from Cairo, First Nations elders and leaders, Reina Gossett and Sylvia Rivera Law Project at Occupy Wall Street, Nina Simone, Langston Hughes, Adrienne Maree Brown, Chris Crass, Kenji Liu, Lily Haskell, Mushim and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Yashna Maya Padamsee, and so much movement legacy.