a:

i create a religion. in this new faith
the devotees rise at 4am and take
cold angry baths in steel tubs of
pure river water. they wet their
hair and shout underwater.

b:

i create a religion. in this bramble
bush women bare their breasts and
perform the sacred dance;

while without covering they lower their shoulders
and groan loudly. every sequence follows this path:
to the right
then the left
then backwards.

when the shaking dance has ended we go in peace.

c:

i create a religion in which we wake up together.
never is there a moment where human skin does
not meet another persons human skin. when the sun hits the
peak of the horizon and begins allowing its yolk to
spill forth between the cracks of the mountains we
eat. only bread we have baked ourselves. because
we must not end touching we have taken turns kneading
it with our knuckles. we eat together, feeding each other.


d:

i create a religion. men are not permitted to talk when the moon is out.
we are not permitted to know the power of rivers and lakes.
they are kept only for those who identify as women.
men are for carrying in the ash we use to annoint our
foreheads and to cleanse those who have lost love.