Scribbled Lives Week 45—Joy Harjo

November is Native American Heritage Month. Joy Harjo is the current, and first ever, Native American Poet Laureate. Scribbled Lives commemorates this month by honouring texts written by this extraordinary poet.

While clearing out paper drawers, an abandoned watercolour sheet with an experimental inked heart came to light. The graphic seemed appropriate for one of the Joy Harjo texts I was considering. I’m not sure why this particular poem spoke to me, since enemies don’t feature prominently in my life, but synchronicity is mysterious, and I’m learning to go with the flow.

Diamine Shimmer ink (red lustre—ooh la la!), watercolour graphite, Mitchell #2 on Arches 140# HP. I was unfamiliar with the performance of this ink (a lovely gift), and discovered that it bled when re-wetted, even after more than a year on paper. However, a bleeding heart seemed just right for the poem…going with the flow. There are also two creative text corrections…more flow!

The author, also a musician, performs her poem on YouTube, “I Pray For My Enemies“.