Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I give you back

While doing my homework last night I came across this emotionally awakening poem by Joy Harjo that I had to share with you all. It awoke my emotional senses and after reading Joy's poem I feel different. I hope to one day be able to share and  show my feelings like Joy does with this poem. Enjoy.


I Give You Back
By Joy Harjo

I release you, my beautiful and terrible fear.
I release you.
You were my beloved and hated twin, but now, I don
t know you as myself.
I release you with all the pain I would know at the death of my daughters.

You are not my blood anymore.

I give you back to the white soldiers
who burned down my home, beheaded my children,
raped and sodomized my brothers and sisters.
I give you back to those who stole the food from
our plates when we were starving.

I release you, fear, because you hold these scenes
in front of me and I was born with eyes that can never close.

I release you, fear, so you can no longer keep me naked
and frozen in the winter, or smothered under blankets in the summer.

I release you
I release you
I release you
I release you

I am not afraid to be angry.
I am not afraid to rejoice.
I am not afraid to be black
I am not afraid to be white.
I am not afraid to be hungry.
I am not afraid to be full.
I am not afraid to be hated.
I am not afraid to be loved,

to be loved, to be loved, fear.

Oh, you have choked me, but I gave you the leash.
You have gutted me but I gave you the knife.

You have devoured me, but I laid myself across the fire.

I take myself back, fear.

You are not my shadow any longer.
I won
t hold you in my hands.
You can
t live in my eyes, my ears, my voice my belly, or in my heart
my heart my heart my heart.
But come here, fear.

I am alive and you are so afraid of dying.




4 comments:

  1. Oh, that is very powerful and moving right there. Love it.

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  2. hey! i'm new here *looking around & waving* this piece was beeeeeeeeeeeautiful! i really enjoyed reading it. thanx for sharing ;-)

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  3. Thank you for stopping by Pink Lady Gumbo, and I hope you visit often :)
    This piece is extremely powerful and I'm glad I came across it to share with my readers.

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