who amongst us carries the sage-secrets of loving
where are our elders our children
the ones who walk with the old-time knowledge
of a healing love
an unapologetic love
an uncompromising love
an honest love

if you tell me who
I will sit studently
by the rivers of their feet
washing away all this unknowing that I have come to know
relearning a language of honesty and integrity and compassion
these languages were carved on our hearts’ tongue
by ancient ones who somehow we have forgotten

because somewhere between a dream and a time-less-ness
across di ocean waters
our sons and dawtahs
our moddahs and fadahs
our auntie uncle sistah and breddah
stretched love fabric
thick and thin
so now here we are trodding trodding trodding
trying to heal these scars of broken fibre
that stick up inside a wi like macka

who amongst us carries the sage-secrets of loving

where are our elders where are our children
the ones who walk with the old-time knowledge
of a healing love
an unapologetic love
an uncompromising love
an honest honest love

if you tell me who
I will sit studently
by the rivers of their feet
washing away all the unknowings that I have come to know
relearning a language of integrity a language of compassion
a language of honesty
because these languages were carved on my heart’s tongue
by the ancient ancient ancient ones
who somewhere somehow sometime I have forgotten

please forgive me for not having loved you relentlessly
in all cases fear has been my worst enemy

were fear not here
I would kiss you
and I would feed you food from my womb
and I would stop you from aching and share a smile
and I would wait with you by the roadside for a while

were fear not here
I would give name to these unnamed
spaces of accountability and of responsibility
that flow like rivers between us
sometimes silent but always deep

were fear not here
the full moon radiance of your
vulnerable and warrior spirit
washing over me like the sun
bathed in trueness
would mirror and I would shine
and you would shine
and we all would shine brilliantly

but who amongst us carries those sage-secrets of loving

where are our elders where are our children
the ones who walk with the old-time knowledge
of a healing love
a compassionate love
an honest love
and an integritous love

if you tell me who
I will sit studently
by the rivers of their feet
washing away all the unknowings that I have come to know
relearning a language of integrity
relearning a language of compassion
relearning a language of honesty
because these languages were carved on our hearts’ tongue
by ancient ancient ones who somehow
we all we all have forgotten

my people
I cannot promise to love you fearlessly
but I can love you courageously
in spite of all my fears
I can love you with honesty
I can love you with integrity

this love our love is a healing love
re-branching itself like the roots of the iroko tree
whose arms are outstretched to the promise of tomorrow
who roots reach beyond those wounds
our collective wounds of yesterday
here now today
you and I
we the community
we the people
we can stand firm in love
one love
one love