This has Special Signifance in my life at this time and space, and I wanted to share it.

When someone says, "We're saying the same thing".
Say, "We are not saying the same thing".
When someone says, "Don't question, just have faith".
Say, "I am questioning, vato(means friend or buddy), and
I have supreme faith in what I think".
When someone says, "Don't defy my authority".
Say, "There is a higher authority that I follow".
When someone says, "Your ideas are seductive".
Say, "No, my ideas are not seductive, they are substantial".
When someone says, "Your ideas are dangerous".
Say, "Yes, my ideas are dangerous, and why are you so afraid hombre o mujer".( means
Man or Woman)
When it is said, "It's just not done".
Say, It will be done".
When it is said, "It is immature".
Say, "All life begins small and must grow".
When it is said,"It's not though out".
Say, it is well though out".
When they say, "you're over-reacting".
Say, "You're under-reacting, Vato."(Friend)
When they say, "You're being emotional."
Say, "Of course I have well placed emotions,and by the way,When they say, what happened to yours?"
When they say, "You're not making any sense".
Say,"I don't make sense, I am the sense".
When they say, "I can't understand you when you're crying". Say, "Make no mistake, I can weep and be fierce at the same time".
When they say, "I can't understand you when you're so angry".
Say, "You couldn't hear me when I was being nice, or sweet, or silent, either".
When someone says, "You're missing the point".
Say, "I'm not missing the point, but you seem to be missing my point--
What are you so afraid of".
When someone says, "You are breaking the rules".
Say, "Yes, I am breaking the rules".
When someone says, "That's not practical".
Say, "It's practically a done deal, thank you very much".
When it is said, "No one will do it, believe you, or follow it".
Say, "I will do it, I will believe in it, and in time, the world may well follow it".
When it is said, "No one wants to listen to that".
Say, "I know you have a hard time listening to that".
When it is said, "It's a closed system, you can't change it".
Say, "I'm going to knock twice and if there is no answer, then I am going to blow the doors off that system
and it will change".
When it is said, "They'll ignore you".
Say, "They won't ignore me and the hundreds of thousands who stand with me".
When they say, "It's already been done".
Say, "It's not been done well enough".
When they say, "It's not time yet".
Say, "It's way past time".
When they say, "It's not the right day, right month, right year".
Tell them, "The right year was last year,
and the right month was last month, and the right day was yesterday, and you're running behind schedule, vato,
and what in the name of God and all that is holy are you going to do about it?'
When they say, "Who do you think you are?"--
tell them who you are, and don't hold back.
When they say, "I put up with it",
you'll have to put up with it too".
Say "No, no,, no, no."
When they say, "You're and incorrigible, defiant, hard to get along with, unreasonable woman..."
Say, "Yes, yes, yes, yes...
and I have worse news for you yet--
we are teaching our daughters, and our mothers, and our sisters...
we are teaching our sons, and our fathers, and our brothers, to be just like us". vl
Taken from readings by C.P. Estes
This ending blessing, is a chant; a lyric form from the Latino Tradition. It is made to be spoken alond, so not just meanings, but it's heartbeat can be discerned, enjoined. In the family, it is called a song rather than a poem, at this case and for me a "song for straight vision and strength".
Over time, this prayer-poem has been put forth at the United Nations, and presented during a tribal women's coalition in South Africa, as well as carried into session at the parliament in the Netherlands, and given before U.S.
Congressional hearings on welfare reform in the 1990's. VL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vonda,

Vonda,

I find it VERY cool that you find special significance in this!

As I say, You Go Woman!!!