Words are my Weapons

Power

I want to relay first, how thrilled I was Alane asked me to be a part of this and to write a few of my thoughts down. Of course, then reality came crashing down,  with a strong whiff of imposter syndrome following behind it.  Part of me assumes that is the life of every written word artist, along with every other field of art imaginable. There are times the bravery and confidence of others leaves me quaking in my boots (so to say), and I  wonder at what moment those same feelings of self assurance will reach me. Yet even in my public timidity,  words have always been my friend.  In my darkest and most trying times, words have in their own way kept me safe. Parts of me are forever hidden in lyrics and poems, in short, simple sentences and in pages of writing . Parts of me are safe from pain, hurt, and more recently, rage. There is a certain power in that, in knowing a part of you lives there, forever.  Even if those words are forgotten in time, at one point there was something tangible, something that touched my life.

I’ll Keep My Broom

This song was born late one evening after a conversation with a family member that ended much the way I suspect you too have encountered, be it with family or friends . There are those that choose to put the blinders on and live a life in complete denial to the fact that others may live differently. My reaction to the biggest volume of these interactions is to back away slowly, and leave the conversation hanging in the air. We all have battles to choose and this generally is not a hill I am willing to die on. The outcome is almost never favorable to either party, and almost always ends in hurt feelings, in one direction or the other. 

In my mind it seems so simple to respect other people and their paths. To recognize the human need for spirituality and to celebrate the many facets and ways people fulfill this need. As I grow older, the more I lean on the tenet, To Be Silent. I’ve come to accept that the way I believe things should be and the reality of what they are are very, very different. As I thought about our conversation, I thought about the myriad of books we have in our home. We have a book on almost every world religion that exists.  We are a curious lot, and enjoy learning. I thought how easy it was for me to slide from a book on Buddhism, and then directly into a copy of the Satanic Bible. I am extremely curious by nature, although it doesn’t always serve me well. I also have a desire to learn why humans think, act and react the way they do to the world around them. Most of the questions can be answered with a deep dive into their belief systems.

The song started out as a bit of a tongue in cheek response to the conversation. The chorus came to me immediately.

I’ll keep my cauldron, you keep your cross
Come down from that soap box, I don’t want to have to kick you off.
Please just respect me, like I respect you.
You keep your bible, and I will keep my broom.

As I sat and looked at the words, the realness struck me. Why is it so hard for some folks to accept that we all live our lives in a way that feels the most natural and right individually? I am a vocal supporter of people’s right to freedom of religion. I have no problem standing up for people of other faiths, traditions, or systems. More often than not I will call people out for disparaging other people’s beliefs. I will not become that thing which I hate, a closed mind and a hardened heart. At the end of the day, I see the similarities in all of us.

It seems to me we’re really not that different.
Seems to me we’re pretty much the same.
And I’ll take your prayers when I can get them
And I’ll remember you, every time I light a flame.

The decline of conversations plays a big part in the world we are now navigating. I myself am as much to blame as anyone else. As our differences are thrown into national spotlights and on a global scale, we see them glaring back at us, cold and ugly, like fissures running along a great fault line. Most days it feels like it could go at any moment,swallowing us whole. It’s so difficult to have those “hard “ conversations. One of the biggest factors I see is how hard it has become for people (again myself included) to actually listen. This is something I work on every single day of my life, and probably always will.

All you have to do is listen
I don’t have to much to say
And I would meet you in the middle
But you gotta come half the way

I suppose listening and talking come easy to some folks. I know it does for me when I am surrounded by the people I love and that truly love and accept me right back. Generally these are people that share my beliefs in ways or at least have reached a point of mutual and honest respect. As I watch what feels very much like the collapse of society as we know it, and I sit and contemplate the fate of the world and of this dear precious rock that some of us not only call home but Mother as well, I feel anger building. It is like a small bit of iron lodged in my gut and just continues to grow day after day, so in my own form of anarchy or retaliation, I write. I write songs, poetry, words, hell even grocery lists get well and legibly written. The world is on fire, I don’t care where you pray, or to whom. I don’t care if you visit a mosque or an altar to Odin. Unless we start working together and start fast, there won’t be anything left anyway. 

This old world needs a lot of help
And I’d rather not do it by myself
If we work together just one time
You might find, we really see eye to eye

A song that started as a terse reply to an unyielding conversation became my personal battle cry and it still brings me joy and even hope. I know there are other folks out there just like me, people that respect and uphold the right for all people to believe freely and safely. This song will remain my weapon of choice. It will always be hard for some people to hear, it is certainly not a song you can hide behind, there are no hidden meanings or illusions as to what the song is about, but there is a certain amount of freedom in that, a certain amount of power. Until everyone does have the freedom to believe how they want to believe without fear of persecution, I will sing this song with all the love and power within me.

featured photo of broom on doorstep by Jane Slack-Smith

For more information about Krista Chapman Green, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to Krista’s sites on the web, check out Krista’s page on Pagan Song.