Contribution Form

Share your voice on the AWP Beyond Sunrise Interactive Map! Begin by entering information about who you are and where you're from.

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Model Poem

Beyond (Joy Harjo)

Beyond sunrise, there is a song we follow
Beyond clouds traveling with rain humped
On their backs, lightening in their fists.
Beyond the blue horizon, where our ancestors
Appear bearing gifts, wrapped in blankets woven
With sun and strands of scarlet time

Beyond the footpaths we walk every day
From sunrise to kitchen, to work, to garden, to play
To sunset, to dark, and back.

Beyond where the baby sleeps, her breath
A light mist of happiness making
A fine rainbow of becoming knowledgeable around us

Beyond the children learning alphabets
And numbers, bent over their sticks and dolls
As they play war and family, grow human paths

Beyond the grandmothers and grandfathers
Their mothers and fathers, and in the marrow of their bones
To when that song was first sung we traveled on

Beyond sunset, can you hear it?
The shaking of shells, the drumming of feet, the singers
Singing, all of us, all at once?

In the song of beyond, how deep we are---

Prompt

Joy Harjo’s poem “Beyond” creates so much presence through repeating the word beyond. What do you think of when you hear that word? How does the idea of “beyond” change through the poem?

Write a line or a poem that gives us an image for what beyond is for you. Is it seeing past something that is hard to go around? Is it something your ancestors bring you from the past that helps you move into the future? Tell us what beyond means for you.

If you like, use a phrase from Harjo’s poem to get started: “Beyond sunrise, there is a song we follow.” “Beyond where the baby sleeps,” “Beyond Sunset, can you hear it?” “In the song of beyond, how deep we are –”

You also have the option to write a poem or reflection that simply springs from your experiences this year and share it as text, images or an audio recording.

Before you click Submit Your Contribution, please take a moment to proofread your piece and make sure the spelling and line breaks are where you want them. Thank you for your submission.