Earth Dragon Greetings!

Earth Dragon

Dear Ones, 

Greetings in this new year of the Earth Dragon!

I wish to live and write from the Earth. This means being attentive to multiple species, perspectives, and forms of life. It means thinking about the geological ramifications of time, and human impact in the Anthropocene. It also means savoring my particular story as a tiny, yet miraculous, expression of life on our planet.

This sensibility speaks through my poem “what if I were?” The poem appears, with eight distinct translations by friends, in my upcoming eco-poetics book Random Experiments in Bioluminescence (Flowersong Press). I look forward to being able to share the work with you later this year. 

For now, here is the poem in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. The Hebrew is translated by Bruria Finkel and the Arabic is translated by Hashel Al Lamki.

Nourishing Thoughts

Poet Kimberly Blaeser writes,“scientists say our brain and heart are 73% water. They underestimate me.” I hope that you enjoy her video “Poems For a Tattered Planet” produced by Indigenous Nations Poets (@in_na_po).

I just finished reading Craig Perez Santos’s book From Unincorporated Territory [åmot] that won the National Book Award in poetry. Angelenos, the book is available in print through our very own LA Public Library. Here is a short eco-poetry film by Justyn Ah Chong that accompanies Santos’s poem “Praise Song for Oceania.”

Author Olúfẹmi O Táíwò’ states that environmental and cultural justice demand that we think and act trans-locally. How can we imagine what does not currently appear to be possible, and organize inventively across space, culture, and language? If this idea appeals to you, check out Olúfẹmi O Táíwò’s Reconsidering Reparations: worldmaking in the case of climate crisis (also available in the LA Public Library).

Try A New Approach

At a time when so much trauma, fear, and conflict are rampant in our world, I am guiding myself with an eye toward authenticity, compassion, and imagination. I’ve noticed how afraid, depleted, and frustrated I can become while engaging with forces that seem hell-bent on eternal war and crisis. I want to use my energy and imagination to create an impossible culture grounded in peace, justice, and futures.

In The Body Keeps The Score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma, Bessel Van Der Kolk writes about the importance of self leadership to guide the many different parts of oneself.

If one part of yourself is weary, you may be able to tap into another aspect of yourself to try a fresh approach. In my case, I’ve beaten my rational brain to death trying to find ways to stop war, yet onward it rages.

In meditation, I saw myself as an ambush of tigers inside a cave shuttered by a metal gate. One aspect of myself had mauled another and was consuming her inert flesh. Thankfully, an unfamiliar, yet vital aspect of myself, was still eager to leave the cave and see what she could find. I felt this part of me as my inner child. She was eager to play and see what new horizons might be possible outside the trap. When I think about this part of myself, I feel energized and ready for action and adventure (despite the harm that has been done to parts of myself). Instead of being harangued by anger, fear, or hopelessness, I can welcome a new perspective. I’m curious about the changes that might come from trying a different approach. What powerful transformations can come from curiosity? From play? From movement?

I’d Love To Read You! Submit to Libretto Magazine

If you are a writer or a visual artist, I hope that you will consider submitting original work for the next issue of Libretto Magazine in Nigeria. I’ve been asked to serve as a Guest Editor of this wonderful team for their next edition on the theme of Consciousness. I look forward to reading and seeing the creative visions that you are cultivating. Check out the submission link for information.

p.s. Here is a reel with some of my memories from reading and signing books at AWP in Kansas City.

The images are set to original music by Avila Santo. Listen to his new tunes “Wole” and “Space + Time” on all streaming platforms.