I don't have a word to describe my elation at learning that Joy Harjo was named U.S. Poet Laurate. When I first saw the announcement come across my Twitter feed, I raised my eyebrows thinking about how her presence during this administration is both critical and valuable. Joy is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. The original geographical location of the Muscogee and Creek tribes, where Joy's ancestors likely originated, is my home. I hold some guilt for living in this temperate place, painted with nature's green palette, while she lives in a place in which her ancestors were forced to relocate against their will. Studying the inhumanity of the Trail of Tears is as critical as learning about the Civil Rights Movement here, slavery and the Civil War, and the part that we continue to play in inequality and inequity so present in our current society. The ignorance that remains astounds me and stirs my anger.
I first learned about Joy Harjo when a student selected one of her poems for our annual poetry recitation. It is an exquisite piece that the sixth grade girl who read it selected for its tone and imagery. How grateful I am that more Americans will be able to hear Joy Harjo's singular expressions of spirituality. I am certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that had the current administration been the one to choose the poet laureate, it would not have been Joy Harjo. Thank you, Carla Hayden, for small miracles.
I first learned about Joy Harjo when a student selected one of her poems for our annual poetry recitation. It is an exquisite piece that the sixth grade girl who read it selected for its tone and imagery. How grateful I am that more Americans will be able to hear Joy Harjo's singular expressions of spirituality. I am certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that had the current administration been the one to choose the poet laureate, it would not have been Joy Harjo. Thank you, Carla Hayden, for small miracles.