Sheltering in poems
I remember seeing many inspiring sights in my walks on the Big Thompson river trail went out for a walk the day before yesterday. Not surprisingly, it winds along the river, with some spectacular views of the Rockie Mountains. I saw my first kingfisher there (you can read about how I tried to take a photo of it). Twice I saw a mink swimming in a little algae-covered pond.
On my walk two days ago, I noticed that the branches of the weeping willow trees are turning golden in the sun. It made me think of Robert Frost–“Nature’s first green is gold.”
The sun shone brightly, the temperature close to fifty, and I was enjoying saying hello to the people I met along the path, even though we walked 6 feet apart.
I passed two women who carried pieces of white paper with something printed on them. As I walked by, I noticed them one of attaching them to a light pole. I didn’t stop to ask, but I did wonder what they were doing.
Not too long after that, I saw this–
And then I went closer.
Remember–the poem–by Joy Harjo
Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time.
Remember sundown and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life and her mother’s and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion,
is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is,
that life is.
Remember.
Poetry Friday and National Poetry Month
Heidi Mordhorst, at My Juicy Little Universe, hosts Poetry Friday this week. She reminded me that this month, April, is National Poetry month. This year’s theme: Shelter in Poetry. The American Academy of Poets invites us to share poems that help us find “courage, solace, and actionable energy.”
For me, finding this poem, literally, felt like a gift. It helped me to remember. Now, when life has become unrecognizable in many ways and I have been feeling somewhat disoriented, this poem which reminds me of who I am feels like a shelter. It helps me to anchor myself in the world in a deeper way. Not that all the worry and re-learning how to navigate life goes away, but it helps me to find a perspective that is bigger and deeper.
Do you have a poem that gives you shelter? You can share it on Heidi’s blog or with #ShelterInPoems on social media.
I hope that you are doing well and feel sheltered by poetry or whatever brings you comfort.
Until next time–thanks for stopping by!
xoxo
I love this poem and the way it was shared. Makes me think that I may have to do poem in a page protector this year, instead of poem in a pocket! Time for me to start taking a poem in a page protector and some twine on my walks.
I think that’s an awesome idea. I’m thinking that someone must have taken those other poems home to give them inspiration!
I love that people are spreading poetry along the trail, and that you found this one. Thank you for sharing Joy’s words of wisdom in this poem. They are lovely.
It is a lovely poem- and people poetry bombing is awesome! It made my day.
It feels like a ‘must’ that we remember, and use those memories for our shelter. What a wonderful things those women are doing! I’m glad you shared, Susan. Thank you!
You’re welcome. It feels good to pass along this thoughtful, yet random, act of kindness. I feel like the poem gave me some grounding in this disorienting time.
Finding that poem WAS a gift, Susan. And sharing it, a gift to the rest of us. Thank you.
You’re welcome–I really appreciated the gesture, and time and thought, that those women put into sharing. It really warmed my heart.
Hi, Susan–I’m finally here after needing alllll week to get around to all of last week’s blogposts (gearing up for Online PreK was very time-consuming)! Glad I’ve arrived, though, to enjoy your gift of Remembering with Joy Harjo and your walk. We are earth indeed, and can shelter in her.
Thanks for stopping by, Heidi. I can only imagine that your class prep was time-consuming! Luckily, we don’t have to prepare classes for our pre-school We’re offering resources, but mostly trying to support parents. I still feel warm inside when I think of “Remembering” and how I found it. I found one other poem on that same path this week–Wild Geese by Mary Oliver!
[…] Although I didn’t have a project for NPM last year, I had the joy of finding poems along the path where I used to walk, including a couple of poems by Joy Harjo. […]