An Anarchist Quaker’s Prayer to Soothe Anxiety

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thecollective
An Anarchist Quaker’s Prayer to Soothe Anxiety

https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2020/03/24/coronavirus-prayer-anxiety/

What my therapist said when she closed her office because of coronavirus.

Hello sweet one. I see how much you care about the world, about your communities, about all of us surviving plagues and capitalism and a world on fire.

That clench in your throat, the knot in your gut, the tightness in your breath — this is how our bodies try to hold the world’s anguish. We write the wrongness into our bodies, a beautiful and devastating lament.

Just because your body can hold all the tragedy, the panic, the tension, that it is holding right now, that doesn’t mean that you must go on holding it, all, forever. The loving grandmother in you knows this to be true.

Set it down. Somewhere nearby, so you can pick it up again when you need to, but just for a moment, relinquish your illusions of control. Allow yourself to See the many-headed Truth monster: it might not all be okay. It might end in flames and death and horror, no matter what you do. Take a moment to acknowledge how fucking awful and sad that Truth is. And how not even the worst possible scenario would take away from your inherent worthiness.

Simultaneously, it is True that human beings have always fought for one another, cared for one another fiercely, and carried the world’s anguish in our bodies. And there are small Truths, like that we cannot control the future, no matter how much we wish we could. (Don’t worry when the Truths contradict one another, real Truths often do.)

No matter what, whether it turns out okay in the end or not, you carry the Divine within you. You are Enough, not because of the things you do but because of who you are fundamentally. Intrinsically. Always and without exception. Take a breath or two to allow yourself to Know this.

And when we pick up the anxiety again, let us aim for flexibility. Movement space for breath to get in and out of your rib cage, gentleness for the things we can’t do, and Integrity giving us the strength and resolve to turn our sometimes-excruciating caring into solidarity, mutual aid, and direct action.

We are each one person, breathing this one breath, with common Divinity.

We can do this. Together.

Note: This poem was an email response from my therapist when she closed her office because of coronavirus. The author has given permission for YES! to publish it, but wishes to remain anonymous. —Ayu Sutriasa

Lebanon Hanover (not verified)
The Last Thing

I'm collapsing, breaking down
silently onto the ground
above me the azure sky
the last thing I see in my life
a swallow makes a little cry
as I look up for the last time
there won't be a miracle
there's really nothing more to come

and all metaphysical
unmasks itself now
did we have each other enough
did we connect deep enough

I'm collapsing, just now
falling without a sound
an orange sunbeam on the rye
the last thing I see in my life
and noone's even bothered
wether I even worked
or felt something like happiness
as I lose out on this heart attack

and all metaphysical
unmasks itself now
did we have each other enough

did we connect deep enough

https://youtu.be/ahJGWww1jNc

anon (not verified)
manta negra

manta negra
has sido el único amor en mi vida
solo tú me entiendes
solo tú me cobijas

no hay nadie
no hay nadie
no hay nadie
no hay nadie

no hay nadie
no hay nadie
no hay nadie
no hay nadie

tú me arropas con abrazos
y me cubres con caricias
en la oscuridad susurras
sueños sobre mil delicias

anon (not verified)
shallow breaths

shallow breaths
over empty graves
death drapes
over broken hearts

anon (not verified)
solo dos acordes

solo dos acordes
para representar
una vida entera

y una misma espera
para una misma cama
de hospital

entre tanto me pregunto
si me iré o si me quedaré

contando los segundos
antes de poder tomar
una decisión final

parado frente al mundo

y no sé
si podré lograr
ir a otro lugar

y aún cuando bien pudiera ya marchar
no encuentro la manera de expirar

y aún cuando bien pudiera ya marchar
no encuentro la manera de explicar

Box Man (not verified)
A surprising amount of

A surprising amount of anarchists see therapists. More than I previously estimated.

I’m sure you’ve not yet heard of a box man. Though there can’t be any statistics, there is evidence that a rather large number of them are living in concealment throughout the country. But I’ve never heard that box men are being
talked about anywhere. Evidently the world intends to keep its mouth tightly shut about them. Have you ever actually seen one?

anon (not verified)
Man in the box?
anon (not verified)
No, Box Man.
anon (not verified)
I prefer Anarchy Carpet
anon (not verified)
This is how we got prisons

This is how we got prisons and solitary isolation. No thank you.

anon (not verified)
what does oatmeal have to do

what does oatmeal have to do with anything?

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