Last Friday, in the wake of the disastrous (though expected) news that our nation will be even less safe for women and their families, we at the Neurolyrical Cafe embarked on a collaborative poem hoping to express what care looks like and how much it encompasses. This poem was prompted by Garrett Bucks, who asked some important questions in his own Substack newsletter, The White Pages, where he often writes about the generative roles white people can play in racial justice. Here is an excerpt:
With this expansion of care and interconnectedness in mind, dozens of us, speaking and nonspeaking, silently joined our voices in the chat to produce the following poem. We invite you to add your own lines in the comments. Let us encompass more and more lovingly together.
MY CARE ENCOMPASSES ALL THE LIVING AND DEAD VIBRATIONS IN THE WORLD. My care encompasses loving myself. My care encompasses my dependence on others to look after me. I need so much support. My care encompasses having a voice in this world. My care encompasses your trusting of my trust. My care encompasses being open to opening. My care encompasses setting my own boundaries and goals. My care encompasses the notion of love and respect. My care encompasses parental love protecting me. My care encompasses my loving family and friends who understand me. My care encompasses my family, friends, and strangers too even when it looks like I don't give a care. My care encompasses even those who would deny me the same. Care is approached on an equal footing, and lifting me further, to the height of my potential. My care encompasses the grounding of my garden…walking barefoot on the earth. My care encompasses vigilance. sweeping up the bits and letting them go. love irreplaceable. My care encompasses GREAT PIZZA…it makes me very happy. My care encompasses oases of hearts. My care encompasses near minds dearly hearing. My care encompasses a connectedness and compassion for others, especially those who don't communicate yet. My care encompasses nonjudgement. My care encompasses enabling all. My care encompasses finding beauty in all. My care encompasses dissolving boundaries. My care encompasses compassion. My care is infinite and so are you.
My care is touch, word, boundary, dissolving, laughter.