time

* in sacred memory of George Floyd.*

knees are for praying
for closing the distance between eyes and earth
returning to the shape of space our child arms held
remembering the sacred by remembering ourselves 

not for taking life 

knees are for bending
to tie shoes 
dig in dirt 
to pick up and scrub clean 
knees are for jumping and dancing 

not pressing the hardened face of your hatred against the tender harp of a throat

did you know knees have diaphragms 
a small web of life in each leg inhaling the tide of our length stretching up and open

knees are for taking someone’s breath away with a promise to stay

not taking breath

knees are for scraping
for playing so hard we can't be bothered by cautious grow ups’ careful warnings

not for ignoring the terrified pleas of a voice pinching shut
of a body raked in pain
of a spirit clinging to life
of resistance going limp 

knees are for praying
for closing the distance between eyes and earth
returning to the shape of space our child arms held
remembering the sacred by remembering ourselves 

not betraying the generosity of gravity 
that has never once paused in its promise to hold you gingerly to the ground 

not for forming a deadly weapon of your weight 

knees are for praying
that the soul of a man torn from his life
finds healing, finds rest
finds comfort in the thousands of footsteps of strangers 
invoking the holy in his breath

praying that the hearts of his family, his loved ones, his community, his people 
find impossibly enough pillowy chests to lay your grief on 
praying your tears, your rage, be held
praying your hope your power be fed

praying our courage our memory 
our swarms of wise ancestors come now

and the next time black and brown bodies
fill the streets with your grief
it is because it is safe 
for the real healing to begin 

that the next time 
white bodies fill the streets
we remember how to fall to our knees
to pray to be welcomed
into the real work of repair