All cultures and peoples turn to poetry during times of celebration, transformation and challenge — those times when ordinary language cannot carry m… - Joy Harjo

Some things on this earth are unspeakable:
Genealogy of the broken — A shy wind threading leaves after a massacre,
Or the smell of coffee and no one there —

think about it — about half of our lives, we’re out gathering information that we may not bring forth consciously, and for some of us, it’s like it’s a library that we go to when we need to know something. It works in that way.

I had come this far without the elegance of speech. ... I could not speak coherently. I stuttered in my mind. I could not express my perception of the sacred. I could speak everyday language: Please pass the salt. I would like . . . When are we going . . . I'll meet you there. I wanted the intricate and metaphorical language of my ancestors to pass through my language, my life.