Remember

“She Had Some Horses” by Joy Harjo (1983)

This is the title poem of Harjo’s first book. It was one of the first poems to earn her public praise, with its sincere exploration of the contradictory truths of human experience. Like “Remember” from the same collection, it uses repetition to create a strong rhythm. Harjo has also released a spoken track of this poem with saxophone music.

“Talking with the Sun” by Joy Harjo (2015)

In this poem, Harjo delineates some of her beliefs about human beings’ relationships with the sun. It reiterates the beliefs the speaker expresses in “Remember” and depicts how Harjo puts those beliefs into practice by presenting her granddaughter to the sun. She also states how important it is to honor the earth, noting that climate change is melting ice in Alaska. She writes that scientists are now starting to “Think like Native Americans.” It was originally aired as part of NPR’s This I Believe audio series and then printed in the book This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women (Holt Paperbacks, 2007).

“Talking Tree” by Joy Harjo (2015)

As in “Remember,” Harjo expresses her connection to nature, but here she focuses on a single element: a tree.