Natalia Diaz, Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Reservation

This powerful abecdarian by Native American poet and activist Natalie Diaz uses this poetic form to illustrate the cruel takeover and imposition of language and religion by colonial abuse and overuse of power.

Please read the poem aloud to experience the full effect. Notice how the lines continue, so the reader doesn’t neceassarily “notice” how poem hinges around the abecedarian form.

Read the text here:

Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation

Here is Natalie Diaz reading this work aloud on PBS. Please watch; she’s amazing.
https://www.pbs.org/video/pbs-newshour-weekly-poem-by-natalie-diaz/