Raise your shield
seal the gates
gather your sisters
around you
to wait.
Let the winds howl
watch the waters rise
when the storms rage
we’ll pay them
no mind.
Joan has put away the armor
Iemanja fastened the sluice
Caitlyn will hold up her mirror
and honor you
with your Truth.
Go on, girl: let your hair down.
Mother Maya of the Angels:
shake our stories loose!
Throw our words
like confetti
and we’ll take them to the skies.
We’ll gather the pieces
reassemble their meaning
weave them into the fabric
of We —
you and I.
Together,
we speak
Together,
we cry
Together,
we dance
Together,
we rise.
— for The Sedona Tribe (with special honors for Caitlyn Jenner).
LEIGH HOPKINS 
Having joined the Sedona Lighties two years in a row now, this beautiful poem brings me to tears! It so perfectly captures the intimate, powerful connections women can make so quickly and completely when brought together in a small, safe, common-spirited community.
We gather around our “camp fire” with our shields at our backs, honoring each others’ stories, knowing each others’ truths, and being fully present for each other. We see ourselves in each others’ eyes and we are each seen in turn.
Together we are all stronger!
❤