In one of the six poems entitled “Romance,” Liu writes: The immediacy of the violence that Liu describes (“vivisection without anesthesia ” “bubonic plague injected into veins ” “bayonet wounds on the back of a woman’s neck”) works as a kind of initiation for the reader to the vulnerability of the next sections, which deal primarily with sexual and emotional relationships. Water boarding and extraordinary rendition fifty years from now The opening section of the book, “A Requiem for the Homeless Spirits,” explores the atrocities of the Nanking massacre and history’s sin of omission:Īnd what do American textbooks say about First Nation genocideīeyond all those blankets laced with small pox?Īnd what will American textbooks say about Abu Ghraib, Guantánomo, Liu, the author of eight previous poetry collections, was born in San Jose, California to immigrant parents from mainland China. Far from being conventional love poems, they are about emotional combat: the necessary ferocity of relationships, and the intricate layers of memory that ensue. There are poems to lovers, to husbands, husbands of lovers, bridegrooms, fiancées, therapists-even mothers. Liu’s odes celebrate seemingly all aspects of the romantic spectrum. His new collection, Don’t Go Back to Sleep, charts territories of passion and consequence in both love and war. Much gratitude.Finalist for a 2015 Lambda Literary Award. I’m honored by your time and attention by reading this blog. To be awake no matter how short a time is the blessing we all provide to each other. But, oh, when we awaken, how wonder filled life becomes. It almost seems like we can’t take knowing the truth of ourselves when we act in full concert with the universe or God. By going back to sleep we forget the beauty and gift this life is. There is no limit to our capacity other than that which we place upon ourselves. To forget how much we are made to love and care deeply for many things and people. It’s the human condition to forget the magnificent creatures we are. “Don’t go back to sleep.” Of course, we will we always do go back to sleep. Now that’s delicious to delve into for years. It seems that there is much mystery and playfulness in these lines with a very powerful imagery of invitation. What is the significance of these worlds touching? Does it mean that if I crossover the doorsill, I am in another world? That sounds kinda scary. Easy, right? Then what are these two worlds? And they are touching at this doorsill. All I need to do is step, float or crawl across the doorsill. Maybe I’m not looking for a door to open maybe I’m looking for a doorsill where the two worlds touch. In fact, people are passing back and forth across the doorsill. This tells that the way or experience I’m looking for is already there, ready, waiting and open for any of us to step through. So one thing that I just got recently is that the door is round and open. These lines lead to all kinds of questions, mysterious openings and maybe wisdom. Then the poem talks about another realm with a door that is round and open. The want becomes a mirror for the one who is asking. The you asking is the one who wants to create a story of unification and oneness within our culture and lives. I know the me asking is not the person who was raised and lived within our monetized culture of separateness. I always come back to who is the you asking and what does “really want” mean. The line that has really grabbed me is “You must ask for what you really want.” There are so many different interpretations of this line and I’ve probably toyed or investigated around 10-12 of them. So which world is the real one? And what are those secrets that are whispered as dawn awakens the world? Who or what is the whisperer? So what kind of secrets does to the dawn whisper to us as we wake up into our day out of the dreaminess of night? At times I’ve had the conscious experience of waking up from another world into this one. Being a camper and avid hiker for many years, I’ve had the honor of being in nature during the dawn. The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Below are some of the ways this poem has lived me for all these years. Apparently, a depth that has captured my attention for 17 years. While this poem is short and appears to be simple there is depth. It does come and go but all of the sudden a line from the poem will show up in my thoughts. I recently realized that I’ve been “living” this poem for most of the past 17 years. I invite you to take a few moments and read the poem out loud a few times prior to reading this blog. It has stayed with me over the years, coming and going while I go back to sleep. I was in a nature based program and this poem had a significant impact on my experience. This poem first came to my attention in 1995.
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