“Butchered Tongue” by Shay Paul
Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “Butchered Tongue” by Shay Paul.
Butchered Tongue
By Shay Paul
My tongue struggles to hold the weight
of Secwรฉpemc shapes against the roof of my mouth.
The glottal sounds of consonants rip from my throat
not with ease or grace, but like a second skin
Iโm trying to remember how to wear.
Pressing uncomfortably against my teeth
like a shape I donโt know how to make fit.
My eyes are untrained in the shades of foodplants;
have not yet catalogued the silhouettes
of victuals and medicines.
If I were to find myself out in the mountains tomorrow,
I would find myself a tourist in my own home
Speaking butchered words and fumbling
with a dictionary of common nouns,
because that is all I have.
Copyright ยฉ Shay Paul
Shay Paul is a Secwรฉpemc multi-media artist, advocate, and arts practitioner living in Secwepemc’ulucw. Working across digital media, illustration, poetry, and installation, her practice explores land connection, community, and contemporary storytelling. Alongside her artistic work, Shay is deeply involved in grassroots arts and cultural initiatives to support Indigenous artists of all experiences and backgrounds.
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