Year of the
Quaker Act, 1662,
criminal offense for
Friends to gather in
groups of five or more,

towns of Reading
and Bristol imprisoned
the entire Quaker population
every Quaker over the age of
sixteen, the children decided to
keep their meeting, entry impeded
by armed guards, padlocks on the doors,
they found a new meeting space in an empty
granary,

stillness of
Quaker worship
disturbed by hostile
authorities, children beaten,
the children of the Reading Meeting
continued to gather for worship, youth
maintained the meeting at Reading, their
parents released from prison,

drama highlights
spiritual leadership
among children, being
confident in children, the
children of the Reading Meeting
behaved admirably, serving as leaders,
many children had committed themselves
to ministry prior to the age of twenty,

Quaker children
have not always entertained
long periods of silence, girls attended
Goats Lane Meeting, confiding the meeting
was disgusting, happy to escape the claws of Goats,
uncomfortable and impatient, wanting the meeting to
break up, longing to get a broom and bang Old Quakers,

children need
from their elders
more than their silence,
and as Quakers, knowing
God uses children to build
the church, children should be
engaged and energized in their
calling that empowers them, keeping
them connected to the meeting, lessons
to be taught, holding expectations more
loosely, offsetting an extreme,

Temperance with the
Two of Pentacles as reinforcement
finding the right mix, Year of the Quaker Broom:
2010 Fire Sweep, Children of the Reading Meeting.

Copyright 12/30/2009 Ms. Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist