The New Language, and: The Beach, and: Sans-Papiers, and: Chalchiuhtlicue

Abstract: "The New Language" came to me as an utterance, a plea for a culture that is more communal than we currently have in the United States. I wanted some great spirit to remind us of our shared vulnerability during a time social crisis. The main character in the poem is a Goddess, but she is also a shared longing for concerted coordination. "Chalchiuhtlicue" highlights assemblages and how we exist within ecosystems and precarity. The poem elevates a sensuous and enveloping response to existence to challenge our western notion that to live is to defend form. I wanted, during this time of ecological emergency, to imagine heterogeneous, delicate and intricate ways of knowing that I associate with the feminine and with love. This poem is also informed by my respect for