Long Soldier’s “Five” section of “He Sápa” was one I had to read over and over. I really enjoy the concept of “Born in us, two of everything.” This idea of duality, even within our own selves, is one that I find resonant, especially in the context of having a voice inside your head that both is and isn’t you. I think Long Solder’s exploration of the internal as a space that has both internal and external parts was very poignant, especially when she addresses the idea of dragging the other “you” up to the surface. I also think her evocative imagery of the scalp and the head made this exploration very visceral in the physical sense. It made me think about so many things, like child inside that we bring out at times – voluntarily and involuntarily– as well as the person whom we aspire to be, which we often picture to be trapped somewhere inside ourselves, waiting to be set free. This poem really made me think about the duality of myself and made me pause to listen to my inner voice with new ears.

Another poem section that I really enjoyed was the fifth section of “Vaporative” which starts with “example:” This poem was incredibly eloquent in summing up an experience that I have often: when a word, because of the way it sounds or feels or looks, feels like it should have a different, sometimes opposite meaning. Long Soldier struggles with “opaque.” I have a similar issue where “chaos” feels like a peaceful word to me when it’s meaning is the opposite. I also really enjoyed how Long Solider expanded the poem to illustrate that people who have different instincts and emotions and understandings should still be able to connect and communicate with each other.

I also wanted to briefly note section two of “Dilate.” I thought the use of words to create the shape of a pregnant stomach was fascinating. The language and phrasing choices also really gave me the impression of stretching, just like the body stretches to fit a child.