No matter what has happened in the mixed-up

and messy two millennia that have followed,

or what religion or nonreligion we participate in,

this Epic Demonstration

and

Eternal Declaration

beats and burns

inside each and every one of us.

We have all received the wounds of Jesus,

the wounds of his wife,

and the wounds of their daughter.

They are Humanity’s Wounds.

They are the Wounds of Life.

And we have all received

the Reason and Remedy for them:

True Love.

It is why and how

our Souls came into this Universe

and incarnated onto this planet.

And,

True Love

is

What

Holds

Us

All

Together.

[deep breath]

Back at the beach,

my body continues to release.

My tailbone untucks

and my chest stretches open

to Receive Life.

Red starts to flow

from between my thighs

and into the earth.

I stand up,

take off my clothes,

and widen my legs.

With my right hand,

I reach down

and gather my blood.

I place my Red hand on my forehead:

In the name of my Father,

I move my Red hand down to my belly,

my Mother,

I rub my Red hand around my red heart,

and All of Us.

I dip my pointer and middle fingers

between my legs

and paint Red streaks under my eyes.

My Soul’s Warrior marks.

I walk to the ocean

and let my beloved body

be washed by gentle waves.

When the cleansing is done,

I spontaneously break into what feel like

primal cheerleading moves,

finishing with a triumphant pose:

“TOUCH DOWN!”