Episode #133 REBROADCAST: Say Grace - Emily Jungmin Yoon

Close Talking: A Poetry Podcast

This episode revisits Connor and Jack's discussion of Emily Jungmin Yoon's poem "Say Grace." They explore how gender and religion intertwine in the poem, talk about the difficulties immigrant populations face in new oppressive states, and reflect on Emily Jungmin Yoon's particular kind of reclaiming. Check out the poem below or at this link: www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazi…25/say-grace Read more about Yoon here: www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-jungmin-yoon Read more about Kelly Oliver's Witnessing here: www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/witnessing [italics from the original poem do not display below] Say Grace By: Emily Jungmin Yoon In my country our shamans were women and our gods multiple until white people brought an ecstasy of rosaries and our cities today glow with crosses like graveyards. As a child in Sunday school I was told I’d go to hell if I didn’t believe in God. Our teacher was a woman whose daughters wanted to be nuns and I asked What about babies and what about Buddha, and she said They’re in hell too and so I memorized prayers and recited them in front of women I did not believe in. Deliver us from evil. O sweet Virgin Mary, amen. O sweet. O sweet. In this country, which calls itself Christian, what is sweeter than hearing Have mercy on us. From those who serve different gods. O clement, O loving, O God, O God, amidst ruins, amidst waters, fleeing, fleeing. Deliver us from evil. O sweet, O sweet. In this country, point at the moon, at the stars, point at the way the lake lies, with a hand full of feathers, and they will look at the feathers. And kill you for it. If a word for religion they don’t believe in is magic so be it, let us have magic. Let us have our own mothers and scarves, our spirits, our shamans and our sacred books. Let us keep our stars to ourselves and we shall pray to no one. Let us eat what makes us holy. Find us at our website: www.closetalking.com/ Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/closetalking Find us on Twitter at: twitter.com/closetalking Find us on Instagram: @closetalkingpoetry You can always send us an e-mail with thoughts on this or any of our previous podcasts, as well as suggestions for future shows, at [e-mail].