Fear is one of our oldest companions and in many cases an unwelcome one. In her poem, I Give You Back , Joy Harjo explores the toxic and often suffocating relationship we can have with our fear. In this intensely biographical poem that showcases her own struggles with panic and anxiety, as well as her peoples struggles since the colonization of America. It is a poem that seeks to find way to heal from the wounds that trauma has dealt us and to do so in a compassionate and caring way.

*TW: There is a mention of sexual assault in this poem for listeners who may find that difficult.

You can find a copy of the poem here: https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/eng190/files/2012/11/Joy-Harjo.fearpoem.pdf

The show notes for today's episode, with full references can be found here: https://wordsthatburnpodcast.com/

You can get in touch with me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/

The music in this weeks episode is Undertow by Scott Buckley and is used under creative commons license. Enjoy his music here: https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/

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