top of page

OPEN LITERATURE

by The Living Theatre and

the People of Malcolm X Park, Washington DC 

during the Know Your Rites Tour, August 2016

Liberation to me is dancing

with strangers.

Liberation to Me is complete

release within Music.

Liberation to Me is people.

What is Liberation?

f-r- to the e-y-e can see

as far from me

to there and back

The realization that all you are,

all you were & all you’ll ever be

is intricately connected to the

universality of all things.

Liberation free to harbour, aid and

abet all external and internal

Health?

SHARE YOUR VISSION OF

LIBERATION:

freedom from oppression,

ability to express

positive energy in any

way, shape, or form

and caste that energy

out into the cosmos

WHAT IS LIBERATION?

Freedom to be

Expression

Self-forgetfulness

Free of system

Awakening to truth

opening to your heart

liberation is like 90 blankets.

you can wriggle around in this

country, but it is impossible to

stick an arm out. “is it

supposed to

be

like this?” has

long been the cry of radical

organizations and “is it

supposed to

feel

like this?” has

long been the cry of radical

individuals. we spend too much

of our time talking about

love, and lend letters the

strength we think we cannot

find, although, in fact, we can.

the revolution will begin when

everyone peels everyone else’s

oranges - when we get there,

the revolution will begin when

we stop being revolutionaries

and start being revolutionary.

liberation can mean a loaf

of bread and as long as that is

true there can be no liberation.

everyone should be able to do

exactly what they want -

our hard-hearted desires are

systemic. Oleanna. Everyone

should allow themselves.

utopianism is a form of

self-preservation and a form

of self-sabotage. Optimism

is the tactic of the masses and

the tactic of those who would

oppress the masses. looking out

at is worlds away from looking out

for. to think of liberation,

to attempt it, to attempt to

know what it means, is day

five. feed all the people. stop

all the killing. too many poets

wont offer to carry a stroller

up the subway steps. too many

radicals dont do the dishes.

liberation is a near-soaring

bird in the chests of the people,

our own ribs are too many cages.

you can never be right and

therefore you already are. use

both eyes. differently. swivel

your mind, because your neck

is no owl. yet. even if

your body is feeling wing.

remember the heart in your

hard parts. knuckle heart.

skull heart. liberation

can

throw

a fist but it doesn't wanna.

I just heard 5 kids yell, “we

have to stick together,” in unison

and that is more poem that

my fingers can before breaking.

bottom of page