from “Shadow Poems” by Jennifer Foerster

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend Support Poem-a-Day November 28, 2019   from "Shadow Poems"   Jennifer Foerster

The people believed in a future          with her face—                                 Concealed                    her seeds                            stars' dull hatchets                    behind the black bark of the moon         and the whole forest grew                              when they uttered the ancestors' old notion           that those who have been buried                    with a little honey           after marshaling a mournful sound                               thrown in circular waves to the west can appropriate similar words           for Creek, like                                       Rattle-wing—                     the flower which expresses the fruit.            Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Foerster. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 28, 2019, by the Academy of American Poets. About this Poem   "This poem is the first in a series of sixteen poems entitled, collectively, 'The Shadow Poem,' based on erasures of seven texts written by explorers or Indian agents to Creek Country (present-day Georgia, Alabama, and Florida) from 1527 to 1828. 'The Shadow Poem' is part of a larger work that experiments with form and source material to explore and expose areas of invisibility in landscape and history, specifically that of the Muskogean origins in the American Southeast. This is a poem of questions: how does the imprint of the past on our future generate growth? What threats or masks do faith or hope preserve? As our language transforms with our ecology, what new responsibilities to language should we/could we be more aware of?" —Jennifer Foerster   Jennifer Foerster is the author of two collections of poetry, most recently Bright Raft in the Afterweather (University of Arizona Press, 2018). She teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts' Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing and at the Rainier Writing Workshop. A member of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, Foerster lives in San Francisco. Poetry by Foerster   Bright Raft in the Afterweather (University of Arizona Press, 2018) "The Philosopher in Florida" by C. Dale Young "Deception Story" by Solmaz Sharif "Nomenclatures of Invisibility" by Mahtem Shiferraw November Guest Editor: Sherwin Bitsui   Thanks to Sherwin Bitsui, author of Dissolve (Copper Canyon Press, 2018), who curated Poem-a-Day for this month's weekdays. Read a Q&A with Bitsui about his curatorial approach this month and find out more about our guest editors for the year. A culture break, a source of daily renewal...   If reading Poem-a-Day has become a meaningful part of your day, please consider supporting this free series with a donation. Your gift makes publishing Poem-a-Day possible. Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit poets.org   Unsubscribe here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038

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