2 Comments
Feb 9Liked by Mason Pashia

I like the notion of noting birds' wings as a cue for cheering. And the lines "more wings than a hospital" and "the bench broiling pigeons" were quite magical. It seems appropriate that the flapping of wings is a relatively silent act, and the imagery is silent as well - a loon over water. There's something dissonant about clapping as a form of celebration. In Navajo culture, clapping represented sending away something undesirable. "Cheering", I was taught back in 2017, was done by nodding heads in celebration. A common theme of yours is nature and how it aligns and opposes our societal habits, and the practices of indigenous people often influence a lot of thought in your poetry in its opposition to colonialism, so it felt appropriate to mention my (very limited) knowledge of Navajo performances/celebration.

Expand full comment