ars pasifika
when the tide
of silence
rises
say “ocean”
then with the paddle
of your tongue
rearrange
the letters to form
“canoe”
Credit
Copyright © 2020 by Craig Santos Perez. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on May 22, 2020 by the Academy of American Poets.
About this Poem
“This poem emerged from the recognition that the words ‘ocean’ and ‘canoe’ are composed of the same letters. As a Pacific Islander poet, this resonated as a lesson in poetics, or an ‘ars pasifika.’”
—Craig Santos Perez
Author
Craig Santos Perez
Craig Santos Perez, a native Chamorro from Mongmong, Guam, writes about themes such as Pacific life, immigration, ancestry, colonialism, and diaspora.
Date Published
05/22/2020