Chapter 6: Lifeline, A Water Storytelling Project
To My Fellow Swimmers...
To My Fellow Swimmers
Here is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those
who will be afraid, who will try
to hold on to the shore.
They are being torn apart and
will suffer greatly.
Know that the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore.
Push off into the middle of the river,
and keep our heads above water.
And I say, see who is there with you
and celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally,Â
least of all ourselves,
for the moment we do,Â
our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves.
Banish the word struggle from your attitude
and vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done
in a sacred manner and in celebration.
For we are the ones we have been waiting for.
–From the Elders of the Hopi Nation
Oraibi, Arizona June 8, 2000
I am sharing the offering above as a way of gathering.
It has been an opening in my recent talks–with the poetry students at Harvard, where I was a guest lecturer for Tracy K. Smith’s Documentary Poetry Workshop in the Harvard University English Department a few weeks ago, on the Good Work Hour on Radio Kingston hosted by Micah last Tuesday and this week it will open my artist’s talk for the Fine Arts’ Civic Engagement Series at Pratt on Thursday with Mary Mattingly.
Let’s let go of the shore, meet in the middle of the river and do what must be done in a spirit of sacred celebration!
My current work invites water’s ancestral wisdom, guidance and creative expression as I explore new ways of mapping and navigating at this time.
If you are just joining or missed previous chapters detailing this unfolding exploration and process, you can find them all here.
Thank you so much for joining me here.
XO, Melissa
Love this so much. I'll meet you there, in that middle.
So beautiful and meaningful. I continue to be amazed.