Spirit Rising

By Sr. Marie Clarkson, O.L.M.
May/June 2014

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Sister Mary Hughes and other OLMs join CNWE to stand witness in downtown Toronto to the tragedy of human trafficking.

my spirit
is waning
stench
is rising
deceit
to prey upon
the most vulnerable
exploitation
in our midst
human commodities all
yet
what conviction
consistency
again and again
their silent witness
placards circling
that prestigious corner
proclaiming
dignity for all
a puff
not yet a wind
igniting a spark here
a twig there
the stench
dissipates
my spirit
is rising

Each March, on or around International Women’s Day, the Catholic Network for Women’s Equality (CNWE) in Toronto holds a vigil on the corner of Bay and Bloor Streets to raise awareness of the horrors of human trafficking. There are always OLM Sisters participating. Sister Marie Clarkson’s poem, Spirit Rising, was born of this experience. To learn more about human trafficking, please visit the following sites:

Canadian Council of Refugees:
www.ccrweb.ca/en/trafficking

Toronto Counter Human Trafficking Network:
www.torontocounterhumantraffickingnet.blogspot.ca/

Government of Canada’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking:
www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ntnl-ctn-pln-cmbt/index-eng.aspx

Walk With Me Canada Victim Services:
www.wix.com/timea77/walk-with-me

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