Tear by Linda Hogan (Chickasaw)

The author of this amazing poem, Linda Hogan. 

"Tear" by Linda Hogan was the first poem I read in #NotYourPrincess Voices of Native American Women. It really set the tone for this collection of poems. The pom is simple in structure and a quick read. But the language and tone of the poem resonates with me. The repeated lines "They walk inside me. This blood / is a map of the road between us. / I am why they survived. / The world behind them did not close. / The world before them is still open. / All around me are my ancestors, / my unborn children." made me understand the poems purpose. The culture of the speakers ancestors is kept alive through her and the child she will have. The world that her ancestors lived is gone but not forgotten. The future of her culture and her people is full of opportunity. This speaker believes firmly that Native Americans will continue to fight to be heard in the modern world. This is the first in several posts I will make about poems from this collection.