Joy!

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I'm working on a manuscript about the Inuit at the moment. I have loved finding laughter in some of the wonderful traditions these people share. There's a laughing game, called Iglagunerk, where two people hold hands and laugh. The one who laughed the longest and hardest was declared the winner. Often everyone in the room ended up rolling on the floor with the contestants. There's a fun video here of a classroom of kids recreating the game.


Another tradition is Inuit throat singing, practiced by women who syncronized their breathing. Whoever ran out of breath or laughed first lost the game. I probably wouldn't have lasted long.





I have never stood on the shore of a frigid sea, but I love the beach and the wind from the Gulf blowing in my hair. There is a rhythm to the ocean pounding against the shore that reminds me of the heart beat of God. This Inuit poem captures that joy so beautifully.


Moved

The great sea stirs me,
the great sea sets me adrift,
it sways me like the weed,
on a river stone.

The sky's height stirs me,
the strong wind blows through my mind,
it carries me with it,
so I shake with joy.

(c) Translation by Tom Lowenstein

Have a joyful Poetry Friday. There are more poems at the roundup hosted by Mary Lee at A Year of Reading.