Brotherly + Sisterly Love
Experience the love. Click on the voices of these brothers and sisters as you scroll through the beautiful images of it all.
by Kalif Jeremiah
by Nonnie Egbuna
Osaru and Obi
Before they silenced our tongues
and closed our fists,
we were brothers.
We met once,
on the Path of Pain.
I read your scars, like Braille,
and knew.
Mumbi and Idalis
Your feet don’t tread so lightly upon this earth anymore, sister.
It is as if you have come to know that to be woman is to be
Hard head and heavy step
And light head and heavy step
And backbone
And chin up
And heavy step.
I’m just wondering if you have used your superpower today.
I’m wondering if you have told the universe your secret yet.
Would she keep it?
BRENNAN AND SINCLAIR
Bold enough to not brace until
burden breaks back,
you have been Sisyphus to man made God,
and you are tired.
Michele and Cherrel
I know the universe is woman
Because in no other creature do eyes look so much like gateways to galaxies
And voices sound so much like hell on the good days and heaven on the tough ones.
My sister—you are a tough one.
And lately I’ve been thinking,
What strings did fate have to pull to bring the two of us together?
Did he not know that we are dangerous?
Did he not know that women loving women causes mountains to move and empires to crumble?
TAYLOR, MJ, AND NICK
I will take your load
when your legs can no longer move.
I will hear your voice
when your heart is hurt;
they may know why you sing,
but not why you speak,
spread your wings my caged bird,
and fly.
Brianna and Jordan
Sister, Girl, we are dangerous!
Let’s link up and shatter systems, sister.
Let’s sync up to Mother Nature’s wisdom—
You bring your hormones and I’ll bring mine.
Sister, we are dangerous!
And I know that sometimes, this love feels more victim than victory,
More trivial than trail blaze,
But if you give me the chance,
I will love you until you forget what lonely feels like.
Until you remember that you are the sun
And the moon
And the stars.
Vincent, Victor, and Leroy
I love you
like the Sun,
who chooses to hold you every day
in the palm of his light,
your skin,
his greatest gift to this white-washed world.
Come to me,
my brother.
From every stone they cast,
we will build a kingdom.
When the universe is tearing you down,
Remember that your eyes harbor galaxies
And that you can raise heaven or hell by just opening your mouth.
But you don’t even need to say a word, Sister.
I hear you.