Grey Haired Advice

 Let not your past rule your present.

A poetry review of Joy Harjo, Three Term Poet Laureate

I recently had the opportunity to check out Joy Harjo's poetry book, Weaving Sundown In a Scarlet Light.

I appreciated not just the poetry, but the story telling throughout the book. Anyone who is not familiar with Native American literature will find an explanation of the poems at the back of the book are extremely helpful. 

Nature is intricately woven in each poem. I really liked, "Frog in a dry river" the personification is amplified in this poem. Ancestors and death are themes not only in this poem, but in many of Harjo's works.

I also very much appreciated, "How The Love Blows Through The Trees."  Harjo writes that this particular work was actually a song written during Covid. This poem is a reflection of memories spoken through her grandfather who talks about the wind. She writes, "Pass this love on, he'd say. It knows how to bend and will never break. It's the only thing with a give and take, The more it's used the more it makes." Having recently lost a loved one, I truly related to this work. I am blessed my loved one left me a recorded message to stay strong.

"Emergence," another one of her works that I can totally relate to having lived in a HUD building, "I am lingering at the edge of a broken heart, striking relentlessly against the flint of a hard will. It's coming apart..."

"Eagle Poem," is a poem of the "Circle of motion," which for me is the season of life. I am in my autumn, and I have learned so much through life, but there is more to my story. Her Circle of motion uses nature to walk through the seasons. Perhaps you are familiar with Vivaldi and his four seasons there once again is so much to be grateful for. It certainly doesn't mean we won't see heartache.

Poetry is not a read for everyone, but I believe if you take the time to read this book, you will find much enjoyment and much to find akin. The book is only 127 pages, but it should be read thoughtfully, or you will miss the meaning.