Remember, by Joy Harjo

Erinnern
- by Joy Harjo

Denke an den Himmel, unter dem du geboren wurdest,
jede der Geschichten der Sterne kennend.
Denk an den Mond, wissend, wer er ist.
Erinnere dich an den Sonnenaufgang, an die Sonne im Morgengrauen, das ist der intensivste Zeitpunkt.
Erinnere dich an den Sonnenuntergang
und das Verschenken am Abend.
Erinnere dich an deine Geburt, wie deine Mutter gekämpft hat.
um dir Form und Atem zu geben. Du bist der Beweis für
ihr Leben, das ihrer Mutter und ihres.

Erinnere dich an deinen Vater. Er ist auch dein Leben.
Erinnere dich an die Erde, deren Haut du bist:
rote Erde, schwarze Erde, gelbe Erde, weiße Erde, weiße Erde
braune Erde, wir sind Erde.
Erinnere dich an die Pflanzen, die Bäume und die Tierwelt, die alle ihre eigenen Familien haben, ihreStämme, ihre Geschichte, auch. Sprich mit ihnen, höre ihnen zu. Sie sind lebendige Gedichte.
Erinnere dich an den Wind. Erinnere dich an seine Stimme. Sie kennt den Ursprung dieses Universums.
Denk daran, du bist alle Menschen und alle Menschen sind du.
Erinnere dich, dass du dieses Universum bist und dieses Universum in dir ist.
Erinnere dich, dass alles in Bewegung ist, dass alles wächst, dass du alles bist.
Denke daran, dass dies der Ursprung der Sprachen ist.
Denke daran, in der Tanzsprache heißt es, das Leben ist.
Erinnere dich.

Kernfragen für die Reflexion: Was löst die Erinnerung in dir aus? Kannst du eine persönliche Geschichte aus einer Zeit erzählen, in der du dich daran erinnert hast, dass das Universum du bist und du dieses Universum bist? Was hilft dir, dich daran zu erinnern, dass "Leben ist"?

Syndicated from Emergence Magazine.

Seed Questions for Reflection

What does remembrance bring up for you? Can you share a personal story of a time you remembered that the universe is you and you are this universe? What helps you remember that 'life is'?

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13 Past Reflections

Sunshine

May 31, 2024

I had to choose a poem to read for my graduation and I found this. The poem had to be in English or Spanish so the translation was super helpful. I feel like the poem really highlights the most important things in life. Joy Harjo is an incredible poet.

bob

Jan 16, 2024

yo this book kinda sucks ngl...

Pankaj Shah

Jul 3, 2019

A wonderful poem/prayer for cultivating mindfulness about our oneness. May we all learn to remember well.

Wendy Noyes

Jul 2, 2019

Remembering is the silent act that happens when we lie down at night and see a star shoot through midnight. Softly and in a split second of light I remember my father laughing, his extra large hand curling around my small girl’s knee, squeezing in just those sensitive spots that make my whole leg tingle. “Horse bite” he whispers without looking away from the road. We are in the front seat of his Cadillac that has a bench seat. My Mom is next me. We are coming home from fishing together. We have caught nothing but each others’ closeness. I remember being loved by my parents, in the black of nights, in the burning sun of day. Thank you to Joy for reminding me to remember.

bob Jan 16, 2024

you are NOT the narrator

Jodi

Jul 1, 2019

I have been reading/responding/posting about the atrocities, esp against children, at our southern border (U.S.).Calling Senators/Rep. I am fighting but heartbroken. I came to this beautiful, life-affirming poem & sobbed. Yes, life is. Life is horrific, unbelievably unbearable sometimes. An infant kidnapped from parents, cared for by fellow kidnapped child (who eventually loses interest), reeking in own bodily waste, drinking from toilet, in hellish, torturous, overcrowded, disease-laden cell or the "Dog Pound," outdoor cage w/no protection from driving heat in day, freezing cold at night. Yet this poem connects me to the Life that IS. That flows through every single thing, in & between atoms. Comforts me to some degree. Gives me "life" to do more tomorrow. I wish I could put myself in front of those guards. In front of Miller, disdainfully, hate-fully giving orders.

me too

Jun 28, 2019

Last evening, I cared for my mother in law (90 years old) ... my parents (83 and 81 years old). I did a lot of remembering! Interesting ... how, out of all the good and bad over the years, my “remembering” centers around the wisdom I’vegainedfrom each. These past few weeks have been weepy ones for me. With so many changes ... so many special moments ... so much fragility ... I have to “remember” that I am God’s girl! It’s OK for my loved ones to decline in mind and body. It’s OK to die. it’s OK to move to another “place”. He remains The Same ... always and forever. On Him, I must stand. amen

David Doane

Jun 28, 2019

I very much like this essay. Joy Harjo exhorts us to remember our oneness with all that is, which we forgot. We are one with the sun and moon and stars, one with all who came before us and will come after us, one with earth, one with all plants and animals. All that is is one, as it has been since the beginning of time and will be until the end of time, and we are part of it. We once had that awareness, then we forgot and have lived as though separate, and we are beginning to bring back to mind or remember the fact of oneness, which is critically important for us to remember for our very survival. It's been over the past approximately 15 years that I have remembered more deeply that we are one, which I learned mainly from the Buddhist and Vedantic traditions, and I remind myself of it frequently.

me Jun 28, 2019

Amen.

Jagdish P Dave

Jun 27, 2019

Remembrance brings me to the realization that all threads of life are interwoven and interconnected and there is an underlying flow of oneness.Like the author Joy Harjowrites," Remember you are the universe and this universe is in you. There are times I forget this Universal Truth.Thanks for reminding me the truth. We all need to be often reminded that life is one though it has different forms.Hurting nature is hurting us. Several years ago when I was teaching in a college in my home town Ahmedabad. My students and I went to an exhibition.The theme of the exhibition was Family of Man. At the entrance there was a poem written by Carl Sandburg." There is one Man in the world and the Man's name is All Man. There is one Woman in the world and the Woman's name is all Woman. These is one Child in the world and the Child's name is all Child." I would add this line:" There is one Life in the world and the Life,s name is all Life." I will never forget these... View full comment

Kristin Pedemonti

Jun 27, 2019

Remembrance means to me to acknowledge I am part of something bigger than myself.To honor my ancestors. To honor the earth and the universe of which earth is a larger part. Remembering the universe is in me and I am this universe happens when I let go and allow: recently I felt this while in facilitating for a group of veterans and I was so hoping what i was sharing was of value to them, that I was being of service because I was deeply second-guessing myself and my place. There was a moment of intense peace as not only did I see my dad in their eyes (he's been gone for 28 years) I felt my dad in the room with us and the veterans felt it too, they pointed it out to me. That moment was profound, a knowing, a connection beyond the physical in front of us. I felt both small and limitless at the same time. I hope this makes sense.

David Doane Jun 28, 2019

It sounds like that moment was very profound for all of you. Thank you for sharing.

Aruna Jethwani Jul 11, 2019

This profound and experiential article is very heart warming as many of us have experienced it. Such moments are rare but the realisation continues throughout the life. ArunaJethwani