Last year we were gifted the Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through, and I’ve been meaning to write this post.
It goes in my “Art that Inspires” bucket.
Poetry has never been my thing
I readily admit that I’ve never taken to poetry, despite the efforts of some of the best English teachers a student could ever have. I am formally apologizing to them right here, right now.
I was never good at picking out symbolism, and trying to keep track of iambic pentameter and the decoding of the different sections of sonnets. I just chalked it up as something I didn’t connect with.
This book has changed that
You see, a couple years ago we bought a piece of property in an effort to conserve and save it from potentially being developed. It sits on the edge of a part of the Sonoran Desert that is already conserved, and butts up to the Tonto National Forest.
That piece of property has been changing our lives. Most who spend time in the area say the same. It calls to you, and grabs your heart.
We’ve made many new friends through this adventure, and one of them sent the book. When it arrived in the mail I was deeply touched, once again, at her thoughtfulness, as she’s also been instrumental in helping us learn more about the area through other books.
We visit the land often and enjoy the fact that we have no choice but to be unplugged, because there isn’t cell service there.
I started reading this poetry anthology and it moved me as I sat at a place where you could feel the spirits of the indigenous people who once lived there. I always try to honor that feeling and the people, and remember that we are not owners of the land, we are just stewards for a short time