By Sam Oliver
I started out thinking I would try and say something deep and meaningful about love & touch for this blog, but when I tried to connect with the theme on an intellectual level, I felt blocked. So here’s a couple of my more instinctive responses to these two words.
Love
I love being creative
I love my own company
I love connecting with my emotions, even ones I find difficult
I love moving and being in my body
I love sharing my vulnerability
I love connecting with new people (even via Zoom!)
I love catch ups with good friends
I love seeing others flourish
I love feeling part of a queer community
I love celebrating queer voices
Touch
Tell me, how long has it been since you
Opened your arms, felt that sense of
Unconditional love warm your
Chest as you hug, cwtch, embrace
Her, him, them, your loved one.
(I can barely count the hugs I’ve had in 2020 on two hands.
I hope 2021 gives me a few more.)
You could try doing something similar yourself to explore your own connection with love and touch:
- Writing 10 things down that you love, in relation to yourself and others
- Creating a short poem to spell out the word ‘Touch’ (apparently this type of poem is called an ‘Acrostic’ poem. Ya learn something new everyday…)
Merry Queer-mas to you all,
Schmo
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Beyond Words
Our first poem from the Pride & Protest collection is ‘Beyond Words’ written by the amazing Elizabeth Gibson
Read by these beauties: Louise Dalton
Naomi Paul, Christopher Lee Fredrick and Clare Johnson
and sound designed by the wonderful Charlie Foran
Beautiful artwork soon to come by Clare Johnson
Part of our ‘Love & Touch’ theme, this poem is a poignant expression of love, solidarity and hope. Today is World Aids Day 2020. While in-person gatherings like the one described in the poem can’t go ahead this year, there are still plenty of ways to get involved online🖥️
Check out our ‘Love & Touch’ gift-box of culture and resources (in our bio) to explore more ways that people and the arts have responded to HIV & AIDs, including the Act Up activist movement
When you touch me, I fee that I exist
We’re delighted to share the second poem from our Pride & Protest collection, and the final one in the ‘Love & Touch’ theme.
‘When you touch me I feel that I exist’ is by Cole Baker
Read by Louise Dalton , Anonymous and Clare Johnson
Sound Design by Charlie Foran
Artwork by Yiwen Lin
This poem engages the senses and asks us to bear witness to an authentic, assertive communication from one lover to another.
Our ‘Love & Touch’ culture and resources gift-box includes poems, books, songs and films that speak to some of themes in this poem, find it in our bio!