HP Rivers

  • A Blessing for Month 19

    When loveFeels like the trenchesAnd the only way outIs through hell –And you have seen enough of hell,Thank-you-VERY-much –And giving upIs the onlyLessDesirable option – Breathe. Be heldBy whatever-the-fuck-in-Godde’s-nameHas carried you this far. And rest there.

    HP Rivers

  • Brave

    I used to buy my courage secondhandAt the Lucky Duck Thrift ShopWhere every purchase supportedLocal kids with autism,And emboldenedLocal queers with trembling handsAnd pounding hearts. They shut downSome time ago;The economy doesn’t seem to like usWhen we’re full of courage,Thirsty for our own power. These daysI hunt it on the street,Holding my own handAs I…

    HP Rivers

  • Burnout

    Dear Person, I hope this message Finds you well, Though your message Did not find me the same. Thank you for your request. It is reasonable, And well within the scope Of my abilities And duties. However, You see, The world is on fire, And I am burning to a crisp As I type. You…

    HP Rivers

  • A Testimony – A Sermon on Coming Out, Being a Queer UU, and Beloved Community

    The reading omitted from the video is “Angels of the Get Through” by Andrea Gibson When I first visited my home church, the minister told me she believes in God on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and alternate weekends. I didn’t believe in God at all. I was raised kind of Catholic and kind of nondenominational Christian…

    HP Rivers

  • Fog

    Inspired by and dedicated to my beloved and brilliant friend, JeKaren, who always reminds me that joy and resilience are spiritual practices. “Fog lifts. We lift. We find what we are looking for with our hands if not our eyes. I think we have to keep asking ourselves where is the joy? JeKaren Olaoya Joy…

    HP Rivers

  • Onset

    Knowing the storm is coming Might be the worst part. It’s like going away to war – Again, Like saying your goodbyes Just in case, Like wondering If you’ll ever come home again. She kicks in the door Like an old nemesis And smiles, Sweet as tea, As she licks her teeth. Depression Doesn’t care…

    HP Rivers

  • Anxious Love

    We decide to write each other letters To open on our wedding day, The things too vulnerable to speak In front of Godde and everybody, I wonder, “What will happen to the letters?” We say, “til death do us part is for quitters,” but we will die one day, And I imagine your body in…

    HP Rivers