News at Eleven: The following poem comes to us

from Dennis Tom, Navajo, and for those unfamiliar with types of poetry we'll point out that it's a sestina--an originally-Italian poetic form that hs challened many a poet over the years. The sestina is structured around six words--the six lines in each of the first six stanzas end with the same words, in a different order each time. The seventh stanza is three lines long, with each line containing two of the poem's central words. Writing a sestina that makes any sense isn't easy; writing one that is actually good is harder still.

The Rez

from Indian Country: 'The Rez,' a Poem by Dennis Tom for National Poetry Month
then Indian Country: 'Song for Yancey Red Corn,' a Poem by Melissa Fry Beasley for National Poetry Month
then Indian Country: 'Mother Tongue,' a Poem by Dawn Karima Pettigrew for National Poetry Month
then Indian Country: Poetry From 'Beautiful Razor,' by Al Hunter, for National Poetry Month

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