A poem by Stevie Wills
Performance poet, Stevie Wills, hopes to inspire the inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities.
You spoke creation
Rivers commotion
Pilgrimage to oceans
Desert plains, skies expanding
Mountains, valleys, earth contouring.
You spoke love in creation
Between man and woman
Birthing family
Birthing community.
You speak love in creation
Comfort, hope, compassion.
You speak, create
Us in your image
In your image
Let us speak, create
Let us speak love
Let us speak hope
In your creation.
Let us speak compassion.
Let us speak comfort.
Let us speak justice
Ignite justice
Fan flames, justice
Mercy.
Let us hear.
Let us hear.
For when we do not hear
from justice our words stray
When we hear
Through preconceived ideas.
When I’m heard
Through preconceived ideas
Like child
Like hero
Like brokenness
Like charity
Ink is drained from my words
Power drained from my words.
When before my mouth opens
Words for me are spoken
Cut from underneath, self-direction
I’m slipping underneath the conversation.
Let us hear.
Let us hear another
As a story we’ve never heard before
A premise we’ve never heard before.
Let us hear another
Every other
Through the preconception of dignity
Sacredness of humanity
Sacred souls demand reverence of tongues.
Let our eyes
Know that that which lies behind eyes
Is unknown
Let us speak not of the unknown.
Known is the sacredness of humanity.
Let us hear.
Let us hear
That we may speak justice
Speak mercy
Speak compassion
Speak love.
To learn more about the cycle of poverty and disability, check out CBM at cbm.org.au You can find out more about Stevie at www.steviewills.com.