Spoken word artist, radio host, and former poet laureate of Victoria Janet Rogers explores the beauty and brutality of the world in her sixth poetry collection As Long As the Sun Shines (Bookland Press). These poems speak as "not an instructional / but a list from them who have gone before": a moving treatise to Rogers' communities that echo Indigenous women's strength and resilience.
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Know Your Generosity
discipline is a path chosen
feet on the ground at all times
brings you to water bodies
where motivations activate
family is no mistake
this work, this life, this life, is work
pay attention to moments of grace
know what you want to serve
we have control of our thoughts
and actions
we open our hands
to hold the whole world at once
create opportunities to love
know, who you love
build a memory bank of limitless happiness
prayer feelings is feeling the prayer feelings
running around with laughter
keep feeling
good
notice beauty
we are natural in the Indian way
we hold love as holy
it feels good to pray
embrace woman power
it is now, not the future
it is an old way
changing everything
showing men how to be beautiful too
rejecting teachings exclusive to them
we awake together
this is the future
now
know your conscientiousness
be aware of what you are aware of
keep it alive in timelessness
this is not an instructional
but a list from them who have gone before
not dead but evolved
call them grandmothers
who are your grandmothers
look and see what they spill
from the cup
it is yours
know your gifts
know your generosity
Creation energy
bring us together
turn it upside down, reverse it
don’t believe in it too hard
and never believe but think
keep the portals open to source
feel what’s true for you
learn by ear
listen like you are by the fire
like you are part of the circle
knowing your turn is coming
telling stories of self
own your own story
it doesn’t belong to anyone else
make curiosity your passion
keep looking
there is always more happiness
more of the mystery
more tragedies
that make us firm
we are born from inspiration
so be inspired
and pay it forward
sing your medicine songs
be a radio even though no one is tuned in
someone will find your dial
someone will turn up the volume
the land is always listening
your wordless song is a miracle
know your courage
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Janet Rogers is an award-winning Mohawk and Tuscarora poet from Six Nations of the Grand River. She is also a radio broadcaster, documentary producer and media artist. Her works have been nominated for Best Spoken Word Recording at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and the Native American Music Awards. Her extensive experience in radio includes hosting the programs Native Waves Radio on CFUV and Tribal Clefs on CBC Radio One. She has also produced the radio documentaries Bring Your Drum: 50 Years of Indigenous Protest Music and Resonating Reconciliation, which received awards for Best Radio at the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. In addition to this work, she was the City of Victoria Poet Laureate from 2012 to 2014. As Long as the Sun Shines is her sixth poetry book.
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Remember: buy As Long As the Sun Shines or any of our READ INDIGENOUS books and get this stunning limited-run tote bag featuring colourful artwork from Indigenous visual artists Kaya Joan, Alan Syliboy, Dawn Oman, and Lauren Crazybull until November 15th (while supplies last). And don't forget to check out today's other READ INDIGENOUS feature, Holy Wild by Gwen Benaway (Book*hug).
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