Poetry Sunday: Fall Song by Joy Harjo

The Library of Congress named a new poet laureate for the nation last week. It is Joy Harjo. She will be the first Native American to serve in that post. She was born in Oklahoma and is a member of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation. Her poetry is drawn from First Nation storytelling and histories, as well as feminist and social justice poetic traditions, and frequently incorporates indigenous myths, symbols, and values. Her poems are intimately connected to Mother Earth and her cycles and seasons.

 Many of her poems are quite lengthy. I looked for one that was a bit shorter to feature here and found "Fall Song." I find it quite lovely. I hope you do, too. 

 Fall Song

 by Joy Harjo

 It is a dark fall day.
The earth is slightly damp with rain.
I hear a jay.
The cry is blue.
I have found you in the story again.
Is there another word for ‘‘divine’’?
I need a song that will keep sky open in my mind.
If I think behind me, I might break.
If I think forward, I lose now.
Forever will be a day like this
Strung perfectly on the necklace of days.
Slightly overcast
Yellow leaves
Your jacket hanging in the hallway
Next to mine.

Comments

  1. Judy KruegerJune 23, 2019 at 4:27 PM

    So lovely. "I need a song that will keep sky open in my mind" Love that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersJune 23, 2019 at 5:15 PM

      Yes, and I particularly liked the two lines that come after: "If I think behind me, I might break. If I think forward, I lose now." Live in and savor the present, she seems to say.

      Delete

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