Rebellion Haibun for Ecological Justice

In St. Jameses Park there are pelicans & parakeets, geese & dragonflies, pigeons & squirrels, crows & Crew, we are all Crew: The Warriors of the Love Rebellion; inspired & beautiful, doing all the best things that humans ever did, can do, might aspire to
.
on horseguards parade
we guarded the horse of our
highest intentions
.
Day & night we sang & played, we drummed & chanted our freedoms forth that we might wake up the world; shine out truth & imagine a future founded upon justice for all beings, that welcomes everyone with compassion & wisdom
.
like a dakini
above the police & rebels
pink haired girl dancing
.
On Millbank & Marsham Street we sat singing heart songs; shining through the rain by the river’s great grey presence; we praised the angry cyclists for choosing not to drive & every time that someone was taken away we cheered our thanks to them & joyfully celebrated their offering
.
cold, hard, wet tarmac
as it began to get dark
it was a pleasure
.
In the distance we could see the flourescent yellow kettle of the Magic Roundabout, they lasted the night; stalwart exiles of Lambeth’s Bridge of Faith, KT & George standing on a box & yes, again, a message that was, is, will always be primarily about love
.
it had just begun
much lay ahead of us, yet
I felt that we won
.
Reciting Blake by the barricade a sudden gust of wind, mighty, raised to heaven, stirred the tents & tarps & pulled furiously at our flags & signs, moaned round the Treasury, stirred the trees with spirited night airs
.
listen to your heart 
today it has the voice of
a city blackbird
.
Once we were dancing a spiral dance outside Westminster Abbey inviting the ancient guardians of the land to bless us with their wisdom & strength while tourists forced smiles to take selfies & Abbey Security peered out at us from behind their railings
.
his fiddle playing
sacred music, overtones
her voice & shruti
.
& Anne & I hold hands & she has tears in her eyes because none of this is protest, it’s an invocation; tens of thousands of rebels mad with dedication to the Earth calling sanity wisdom & the love of all existences forth into the centre
.
we shut down the heart 
of the capital city 
with our wild music 
.
It’s not violent, though it may be righteously angry sometimes grieving, it’s mostly celebratory. It doesn’t name or shame, just demands that the truth be spoken. It’s shows us a new 21st century version of Clarke’s Law: “Any sufficiently advanced rebellion is indistinguishable from magic.”

For the record: I particpated in the Love Rebellion of 2019 for three days at the start.

This piece is dedicated to those with whom I shared the experience on both sides of the line.

Tens of thousands of us closed down central London. We are not protesters. Extinction Rebellion is an international apolitical network using non-violent direct action to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

We have three demands in the UK:

Tell the truth

Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.

Act Now
Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
   
Beyond Politics
Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

Justice!
I am happy to tell you
That justice,
Even if it cannot be perfectly realised in this world
May be pursued & that such a pursuit
Is both worthwhile & meaningful.
It may be sought in the direction of
Harmony, peace & openness;
It is inclusive, not exclusive
& all it requires is that we embody these qualities
As living values
Rather than mythical absolutes.
(From an earlier poem.)