Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings (Part 1)
By Joy Harjo
1. Set conflict resolution ground rules:
Recognize whose lands these are on which we stand.
Ask the deer, the turtle, and the crane.
Make sure the spirits of these lands are respected and
treated with goodwill.
The land is a being who remembers everything.
You will have to answer to your children, and their children,
and theirs.
The red shimmer of remembering will compel you up the
Night to walk the perimeter of truth for understanding.
As I brushed my hair over the hotel sink to get ready I heard:
By listening we will understand who we are in this holy realm of words.
Do not parade, be pleased with yourself.
You must speak the language of justice.
From Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings — Poems opens in a new tab by Joy Harjo.
We will publish part 2 in next month’s edition.
Listen to Pádraig Ó Tuama discuss Harjo’s poem in his podcast Poetry Unbound. opens in a new tab
