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Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo Quotes

Poet

Joy Harjo is an American Indian poet born on May 9, 1951. Her work blends poetry, music, and visual art, exploring Native American culture, identity, and the female experience. Harjo is known for her unique voice and profound emotional expression, and her poetry has won numerous literary awards.

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All Poetry She Had Some Horses Joy Harjo Poem Life Death Loss Earth Heart Language Love Grief Imagery Mourning Stories Humanity Identity Poems Remember Stars

Famous Joy Harjo Quotes

“Be respectful of the small insects, birds and animal people who accompany you. Ask their forgiveness for the harm we humans have brought down upon them.”

Life Environment Forgiveness Respect Animals Insects Birds

Book:Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

Source: Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

“Praise the rain; the seagull dive The curl of plant, the raven talk— Praise the hurt, the house slack The stand of trees, the dignity— Praise the dark, the moon cradle The sky fall, the bear sleep— Praise the mist, the warrior name The earth eclipse, the fired leap— Praise the backwards, upward sky The baby cry, the spirit food— Praise canoe, the fish rush The hole for frog, the upside-down— Praise the day, the cloud cup The mind flat, forget it all— Praise crazy. Praise sad. Praise the path on which we're led. Praise the roads on earth and water. Praise the eater and the eaten. Praise beginnings; praise the end. Praise the song and praise the singer. Praise the rain; it brings more rain. Praise the rain; it brings more rain.”

Life Earth Humanity Spirituality Nature Moon Cosmos Trees

Book:Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

Source: Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

“My path is made of poetry and music, characterized by rowdiness and sunflowers, and given life by everyone I have met along the way in this process of becoming human. (When I say "everyone," I don't mean just us ornery two-legged beings.)”

Life Poetry Humanity Relationships Music Animals Paths Becoming Human

Book:Catching the Light

Source: Catching the Light

“You're gone now, and I'm still in this predicament called living, Charlie. I imagine things don't change much when you cross the line. You're still you. And I'm still here at the other end of this long, long wave, listening.”

Life Death Poetry Listening Poem Living Mourning

Book:Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

Source: Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

“Eventually, we all make it home, and we each make an individual path by any means.”

Life Home Paths Going Home Returning Home

Book:Catching the Light

Source: Catching the Light

“Be who you are, even if it kills you. It will. Over and over again. Even as you live. Break my heart, why don't you?”

Life Self Death Poetry Poem Heartbreak Individuality

Book:An American Sunrise

Source: An American Sunrise

“All for that welcome home dance, The most favorite of all-- when everyone finds their way back together to dance, eat and celebrate. And tell story after story of how they fought and played in the story wheel and how no one was ever really lost at all.”

Life Death Poetry Loss Grief Family Poem Mourning Celebration Celebration Of Life

Book:An American Sunrise

Source: An American Sunrise

“It was all connected, this poetics of listening, word making, and dancing. There was power to transform, to lighten the heaviness of the burden of being human. That's how I came to understand the power of poetry and music. It was a tool, but more than a tool. Words and music evoked a state of mind that lifted us up when racial and historical despair threatened.”

Life Poetry Language Music Enlightenment Transformation Words Sounds

Book:Catching the Light

Source: Catching the Light

“Time and how are the mysterious elements of any life.”

Life Poetry Time Mystery Poem

Book:Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

Source: Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems

“Untitled Either a snail's moist web of moonlight, or someone's hot breath at four a.m. when the night has been too much, has eaten you whole. This is my life. It has been sifted through the bones of my body, through blood. It is all that I have.”

Life Poetry She Had Some Horses Joy Harjo My Life All I Have

Book:She Had Some Horses

Source: She Had Some Horses

“Remember that you are all people and that all people are you.”

People Life Inspirational Remember Equality

Author:Joy Harjo

About the Author

Born: May 9, 1951
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 138

Related Topics

Poetry She Had Some Horses Joy Harjo Poem Life Death Loss Earth Heart Language Love Grief Imagery Mourning Stories Humanity Identity Poems Remember Stars

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

She Had Some HorsesRelated source material

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: PoemsRelated source material

An American SunriseRelated source material

Catching the LightRelated source material

In Mad Love and WarRelated source material

Crazy BraveRelated source material

How We Became Human: New and Selected Poems 1975-2002Related source material

The spiral of memory: interviewsRelated source material

A Map to the Next World: Poems and TalesRelated source material

The Pueblo Imagination: Landscape and Memory in the Photography of Lee MarmonRelated source material

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