We have dreamed of this all of our lives




In the diary as the wind began to tear
at the tents over us I wrote: 
We know now we have always been in danger 
down in our separateness 
and now up here together but till now 
we had not touched our strength 

In the diary torn from my fingers I had written:
What does love mean 
what does it mean "to survive" 
A cable of blue fire ropes our bodies 
burning together in the snow We will not live 
to settle for less We have dreamed of this 
all of our lives 

from “Phantasia for Elvira Shatayev” by Adrienne Rich

Painting by Elisabeth Slettnes

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