A Poem In Three Parts, Part 2: A Story of We
The Othering & Belonging Institute commissioned poet Michelle Lee aka "Mush" to write and perform a poem in three parts on bridging and belonging for the 2021 Othering & Belonging Conference. We will be premiering this poem and accompanying visuals—featuring an array of dancers, aerialists, and performers of all kinds—in three digital shorts directed by filmmaker Yoram Savion, with creative direction from conference emcee Sarah Crowell.
II. A Story of We
the
story of who we, as people, might be
when we
dare to belong
is the
story of a brick
that
dreams of becoming a waterfall
the
story of who we might be
when we
dare to belong to each other
is a
name difficult on the tongue
when we
dare to belong
we
become
the
hyphen that bridges
all
that is human and heaven
self
and other
when we
see the humor and heartbreak
in the
eyes of the one who lives
across
the myth of the dividing line
we poke a hole in that sky of stories
that
says we are better off divided
when we
dare to belong to each other
we
disrupt the mythical parable
that
promises safety in our separateness
like
the radical love & friendship of
Grace
and Jimmy
Luz
and Jesse
Malcolm
Marsha
when we
dare to belong
we
reveal deep traditions
colliding
with unlikely friendships
coming
together,
across
dividing lines,
across
dividing lines,
across
dividing lines,
(cross dividing lines)
to
create
to heal
to
empower
us all
