Singing in Annelinde’s Living Room
Like a quilt, the women’s voices covered me.
They knew all the words and melodies.
New in the nest, I mostly listened,
quieted as I’d ever been
by the marvel of acappella harmony,
and the simple surprise of belonging.
It seemed that every song
had lyrics that my fussy poet self
could truly believe and mean.
The music faded the world outside,
and created in the living room
the safety each of us craved.
What we sang was nurture.
Our voices ribboned the air
with milk that fed our tenderest selves.
Our voices sailed and strengthened,
to bless with mothering, with sisterhood,
ourselves, then all the wider world.
Singing with the longtime women friends
years past in Annelinde’s living room,
I took my baby steps toward trust.
©Susa Silvermarie 2025
So beautiful, Susa, thank you! Is it OK if I share this with Sahara Peace Choir? I became vividly aware of this phenomenon the first time we came together, in my living room, in late October after Hurricane Helene. It was like we all had to fall back into each other’s arms. It’s my privilege that my mission is to collect these songs, over a lifetime, to give women trust and peace.
Love and thanks, Annelinde
(Today we spoke about Antiga when we sang, “Goddess Bless the Grass.”)