V. Rivers responds to workshop Rehearsals for the Revolution

Response to Rehearsals for the Revolution
V. Rivers


Slick
confident
repeating
insistent
lies are swallowed down welcoming throats.
It shocks me, so
easy. Now how to respond?

Tempting
to spit my belly’s fire
scorching earth below this high turret
‘It’s them, you see. Not me, not me.’
Purest tones ring
over fruitless dusty soil
as we all sing along
behind our concrete walls
of fear and hurt

Truth is,
my belly hungers for fruit
more than fire. Now how to respond?

I look inside my burning belly
soothe its heat with the balm
of this moment. Challenge
assumptions
prejudices
judgements
I break the rocks of my own defences
one by one, spit
dust from my mouth to sing
new songs.
Listen, make
space
to understand the reasons behind all our defences
Question who profits

Now each time my pain seeks fire
I’ll remember; fruit-filled revolution
requires the fertile soil of
openness

_______
Rehearsals for the Revolution workshops took place as part of Jasmina Cibic's exhibition The Pleasure of Expense, 2019. More info on the workshops and exhibition on Cooper Gallery's website.