Your Silence Will Not Protect You & A Litany for Survival - Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde’s words serve as both a call to courage and a source of resilience for those who face silence and erasure.
In “The Transformation of Silence into Language & Action” Lorde reminds us of the personal cost of silence, pushing us to recognize that transformation requires speaking out, no matter the risks. Her poem, "A Litany for Survival," echoes this defiance, affirming the shared vulnerability of marginalized communities while celebrating their unyielding determination.
Both pieces invite us to confront fear, embrace our voices, and recognize the power of collective action. These works are essential for anyone committed to justice and liberation, as they urge us to act not just for ourselves but in solidarity with all facing oppression.
A Litany for Survival
For those of us who live at the shoreline
standing upon the constant edges of decision
crucial and alone
for those of us who cannot indulge
the passing dreams of choice
who love in doorways coming and going
in the hours between dawns
looking inward and outward
at once before and after
seeking a now that can breed
futures
like bread in our children’s mouths
so their dreams will not reflect
the death of ours;
For those of us
who were imprinted with fear
like a faint line in the center of our foreheads
learning to be afraid with our mother’s milk
for by this weapon
this illusion of some safety to be found
the heavy-footed hoped to silence us
For all of us
this instant and this triumph
We were never meant to survive.
And when the sun rises we are afraid
it might not remain
when the sun sets we are afraid
it might not rise in the morning
when our stomachs are full we are afraid
of indigestion
when our stomachs are empty we are afraid
we may never eat again
when we are loved we are afraid
love will vanish
when we are alone we are afraid
love will never return
and when we speak we are afraid
our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid
So it is better to speak
remembering
we were never meant to survive.
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Copyright Credit: "A Litany for Survival." Copyright © 1978 by Audre Lorde, from The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde. Copyright © 1997 by the Audre Lorde Estate. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
