“Joy is the Justice (We Give Ourselves)” by J. Drew Lanham

On Being with Krista Tippett

On Being Studios

Society, Spirituality, Society & Culture, Sociology, Culture, Science, Religion & Spirituality, Krista Tippett, Social Sciences, On Being, Arts

4.7 • 10.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 May 2024

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We are overjoyed to share this heart-stirring performance with you, which transpired when we invited the ornithologist/poet/former On Being guest J. Drew Lanham to offer some poetry at a live On Being event in January 2024. We could not have imagined the lightning in a bottle that unfolded — a live adaptation of the title poem that appears in Drew's wonderful new book, Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves.

Transcript

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0:00.0	At an on-being event in January 2024, poet and ornithologist Jay Drew Lanham read his poem,
0:11.6	Joy is the justice we give ourselves. This is a live
0:15.1	adaptation of the piece that appears in his new book of poetry.
0:20.3	Joy is the justice we give ourselves.
0:29.0	It is Maya's bird sung free past the prison bars,
0:34.8	holding spirits bound without due process,
0:39.1	without just cause.
0:43.1	Joy is the steady running stream,
0:45.7	rights sprung up from moss soft ground
0:50.2	under hanging trees,
0:52.3	nourished by blood, grown through pain,
0:56.0	now seeping sweet.
0:59.0	Equality's demands made clear from sea to shining sea,
1:05.6	north to south, west to east,
1:09.3	fly over heartland in between. Joy is the truth. The crooked lies hammered straight,
1:20.0	whitewashed midsoths wiped away.
1:25.0	Joy is stone mountain, just stone.
1:30.3	Rush more, no more.
1:34.0	Joy is giving the Eagles their mountains back.
1:39.0	Joy is returning to sacred the people's holy lands.
1:44.0	Joy is the paradise we can claim,
1:48.0	right here, right now.
	...

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