As I mentioned yesterday, April is National Poetry Month, and to commemorate it, Bonny, Kat, Kym, and I are once again going to be sharing poems with you every Thursday this month. Each week has a theme or featured poet, and for this first Thursday, we are sharing poems about peace and/or humanity. This is a very timely theme, in my opinion, because the current conflict in Israel and Gaza is never far from my mind. Though I don't claim to have any expertise in diplomacy, I firmly believe that a very key step toward ending conflict is seeing the humanity of those we might view as our adversaries. With that in mind, I picked a poem to share this week that beautifully illustrates how much more we have in common one another than we might realize.
Perhaps the World Ends Here
by Joy Harjo
The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.
The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will
go on.
We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.
It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make
women.
At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.
Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us as our
poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.
This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.
Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate
the terrible victory.
We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.
At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last
sweet bite.
Such a beautiful poem, Sarah. And so perfectly . . . accessible . . . to all of us. Thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteJoy Hart says it ALL so well! Thank you for sharing this poem Sarah.
ReplyDeleteHarjo - damn autocorrect
ReplyDeleteOh my... this is such perfection, Sarah. I heard this poem read just yesterday! I think it is so perfect that you have shared it today... the serendipity of this showing up twice in my week is a blessing! I love the entire idea of all of this... women, a humble kitchen table, and the life that happens around it. I can't help but think that so many of the worlds problems could be solved in this exact way... a well-loved, humble kitchen table! Thank you so much for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful poem, Sarah! Our kitchen table is a vintage oak one that we found at a yard sale and I like to look at the marks and scars from previous owners, along with the ones that my family has added. Like Kat, I would like to think of the world's problems being solved at a kitchen table. I would welcome some of the world's leaders for a meal.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem and the way it expresses our connections to one another. The kitchen table that Dale and I have belonged to his grandparents and I'm always so mindful of all of the meals and conversations and cups of coffee shared there.
ReplyDelete