Tomorrow I am an eating person again. That is so exciting. I feel great appreciation for the fact of food. For the privilege of eating food.
And I don’t want to be sentimental or seen as sentimental – (I can’t use the word ‘but’ here – so, yet/and/ as well as), my heart and mind go to those who can’t eat what they need to eat. Some such at home here in unevenly wealthy Aotearoa. And everywhere else.
My hunger strike is ending and my energy reserves are getting lower. I’m living within my means, energy- wise, because there’s no choice. The thought occurs ‘if we might embrace that principle’ in our society.
I appreciate the care I’ve been given by the E Tū team, Kieran, Molly, Sue, Caz, Rachel, Kate, Hiro, Mick. The Fridays for Our Future group have held this vigil for a long time. So many days of dedication. Often unacknowledged. A deep bow to you all. And thank you.
My friends and whānau and the very many who’ve come to be with me, and those who couldn’t but have held me with love and care. I am grateful.
We live in fundamental liberty, pretty much, I think. Liberty to eat (though plenty go hungry), to drink clean water, to speak truth, to love another, to counter government. Basic liberties that aren’t assured in many parts of our world. And willingly surrendering our liberty is a strong statement, then. To go to prison or to risk going. To stop eating because we are literally stealing life from other species, from every generation ahead.
I am thinking of this as gifting liberty.
Gifting liberty
With love all around it
I rarely discuss this. The topic of sacrifice. The associations with guilt, masochism, posturing. Maybe I’ll try poetically.
These times do call us, I think, to reach deep, to show up, to be seen
To have our voice heard as powerfully as we can
We are in serious trouble
There is no happy ending
So, gifting liberty through sacrifice
(out of love, grief, and rage perhaps)
Is one (noble) response
Mine and yours, inspired by each other’s
Our best blessing
With sincerity
May we uphold our sacred obligations to the Earth and to each other.
