Joy Harjo - Poet For Our Times | Episode #493
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In this heartfelt episode of Legacy Living with Dr. Gloria Burgess, the host honors Joy Harjo, the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States and a profound voice in contemporary poetry and music. Dr. Burgess shares personal reflections on meeting Harjo at the Skagit River Poetry Festival, where she was struck by the seamless fusion of poetry and saxophone music—what she describes as 'the poetry of music and the music of poetry.' Through readings of Harjo’s iconic poems—including 'Remember,' 'For Calling the Spirit Back Home,' 'Grace,' and 'Eagle Poem'—Burgess explores themes of belonging, memory, ancestral connection, and spiritual renewal. She emphasizes how Harjo’s work invites listeners to slow down, reconnect with nature, and reclaim their spirit. The episode concludes with a call to action: making each day count through presence, listening, and service, echoing Harjo’s message that 'how we live is how we serve.'
Make your life count by being present and truly listening to others.
Poetry and music are inseparable expressions of the soul and the universe.
Remember your roots, your ancestors, and your connection to all living things.
Spiritual renewal begins with surrender, forgiveness, and returning to your true self.
Every day is an opportunity to be the difference in someone else’s life.
Introduction: The Power of Presence and Legacy
Dr. Gloria Burgess opens the episode with a warm welcome, emphasizing the preciousness of life and the importance of making each day count. She introduces the theme of music and poetry as tools for connection, healing, and legacy-building.
Meeting Joy Harjo: A Soulful Encounter
Dr. Burgess recounts her personal meeting with Joy Harjo at the Skagit River Poetry Festival, describing Harjo’s powerful stage presence—her saxophone, her voice, and the way her music embodied poetry. This moment deepened Burgess’s understanding of the unity between music and verse.
Poem Analysis: 'Remember' – A Call to Reconnection
“Remember you are all people and that all people are you. Remember you are this universe and that this universe is you.”
Poem Analysis: 'For Calling the Spirit Back Home' – Healing the Wandering Soul
“Help the next person find their way through the dark.”
Poem Analysis: 'Eagle Poem' – Living in Sacred Motion
“Breathe in, knowing we are made of all this. And breathe, knowing we are truly blessed because we were born and die soon within a true circle of motion like eagle rounding out the morning inside us.”
“Remember you are all people and that all people are you. Remember you are this universe and that this universe is you.”
“Help the next person find their way through the dark.”
“We have seen it. I know there is something larger than the memory of a dispossessed people.”
Host
Guest
Joy Harjo
person
Dr. Gloria Burgess
person
Poetry Foundation
organization
JoyHarjoe.org
product
TalkNetworkRadio.com
product
Skagit River Poetry Festival
other
Women's History Month
other
Indigenous Peoples Month
other
TEDx
organization
product
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