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

  • Feet

    I wash my own feet, And I think nothing of it – It is a mundane thing But it does make me wonder If radical love Need not be radical – It does make me think That the most radical way We can love another Is to love their mundane, Worship their everyday, Revere their…

    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

  • Instructions

    Sitting on our dining room floor Assembling a cheap dresser With inadequate instructions You laugh and say, “Babe, I’m not doing feelings right now – I’m doing power tools.” I think, “I want to remember this moment When I am dying.” Because I have never been more in love Than I am here, in this…

    HP Rivers

  • Body

    The priest says,“This is the body of Christ”And I watch, wide eyed,As my grandfatherHumbly accepts the offeringOn his tongue. I wonder what Jesus tastes like. The priestess says,“May you never thirst”And I humbly accept the wine,Transmuted intoThe water of the wombThat held Jesus ChristAnd I wonderAbout Christ’s body. I wonder about his sweat,The itching of…

    HP Rivers

  • Things I’ve Learned During the Pandemic

    Things I’ve Learned During the Pandemic I can do hard things. This message is not finding anyone well,We all just show that differently. Always take a phone chargerWith you to the hospital. Children are not meantTo be raisedWithout the village. When everything elseIs stripped away,Love will remain. I can do hard things. And to wear…

    HP Rivers