“Fat on Freedom” by Megan Douglass
As we prepare for the long haul, we asked:
What is guiding, fueling, feeding our work?
All this conflict is a part of movement, but
at what point does too much friction
stop us from moving?
How are we healing and loving ourselves into the future?
They said our body politic was lookin a lil’ thin, a lil’ hungry;
So we have to start getting fat on freedom…
Get thick on the love of liberation…
Bear and carry this weight as we nourish ourselves on grace, community, justice and love.
Contradicting norms as we get lighter and lighter, the fuller we are.
It’s time to stop hitting the drive-thru of misanthropic philanthropic empty caloric-value
fast-fund unhappy meals.
Instead…
Let’s feast on the fatback of fellowship.
Let’s slow down
and let our radical bellies swell on education,
deep attention,
compassion.
Let’s wobble as we walk hand in hand with those with whom we break up
systematically oppressive bread.
Let’s take all of these capitalist, misogynist, racist, classist, supremacist, trans- & homophobic chickens coming home to roost
and fry them crisp.
And serve them at our next block party.
And watch our communal hips widen until they are so broad we can readily birth new nations
and ensure that no matter where we walk, movement will be involved.
Just as a pebble in the stream can create ripples,
let’s allow our collective cankles of curiosity
to grow so thick that when we dip them in the water of the world they create tidal waves.
Let’s gorge on radical love until we can quantify its power by the metric ton.
Let’s be the elephant in the room.
I was told that power is the ability to shape reality.
So let’s make that shape so juicy, so jiggly it’s irresistible & delectable.
Even in the midst of gunshots, even as they tell us our size is detrimental to our security,
I’m gonna keep growing,
keep serving fact sandwiches to my people,
keep getting chunky on change,
keep getting
fat on freedom.
