Poems Reflection

For the poem “A Map to the Next World,”I instantly knew this poem was discussing climate change from the line “those who would climb through the hole in the sky.” (line 2) At first I thought “from the killing fields,” was referring to the wildfires that have been occurring, but after a quick google search I learned that ‘Killing Fields” is the name of a movie about the mass brutal murders of cambodians. Therefore that line refers to the genocide of indigenous people and how the earth dying -wildfires (line 4). The five line, “ For the soul is a wanderer with many hands and feet,” I believe is referring to everything being alive. So, everything in nature and humanity has a right to life. The next two lines (lines 6-7) acknowledge that  reading the map-connecting to the land- is something not everyone can do, because accessing that ability is something that is passed down through generations and traditions. The poem describes how everything is connected because everything has a life, but human greed and reckless ambition lessens our honor and humanity. This parallels Na Viro and the unraveling of Dani’s character.

If we ignore our errors our children will bear the consequences.This is smoothing we can actively see today, since previous generations ignored or did not prioritized the impact of climate change, now it's up to the current and future generations to save ourselves and the earth. Past negligence has caused us to transition from global warming to global burning. Furthermore, similar to Na Viro where the animals and the earth recovered after hundreds of years, our earth will recover from all the damage, but we will not be able to. An example the poem states is nuclear-most likely referring to the threats of nuclear war in the past and the impact of nuclear waste- the earth will recover at some point, but we can’t survive a nuclear war or recover from contact with nuclear waste. Another parallel to Na Viro is in the comparison of the human body with the earth. This emphasizes how humanity is connected to the earth, despite people’s refusal, which is why a mother tells her child to navigate the land with the guidance of their body and ancestral knowledge.

In “Love After Love” someone is encountering their past self. The poem warns people that you tend to stray from yourself-your past, traditions, childhood self, etc. In doing so, we leave crucial parts of ourselves behind, but no one will support and know us in the same way we know ourselves. So, a time will come where we can look at ourselves and talk to ourselves in a positive way- with love and acceptance- acknowledging all the experiences and identities that make up who we are.

The last poem, “The Future Loves You Already,” is connected to other readings and both of the previous poems. It connects to  “A Map to the Next World,” because we are actively trying to build a future where we care for the earth and acknowledge different ways of learning. Additionally, it connects to “Love After Love” and Na Viro because it discusses a future founded on love , acceptance and care for different cultures, voices, and identities. It emphasizes that the past,present, and future are connected-what you do now will build what kind of society and world we will live in.  Lastly, it relates to Na Viro because it is utopian in a way, it's discussing a world we want to live in, it's calling forward what we envision for our future.