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In her poem “Daffodils,” Bellingham resident Rena Priest tackles heady topics such as genocide, oppression and the complexity of being an Indigenous poet who is expected to write about Indigenous subject matter. In the same work, the first Native American to be appointed as Washington State Poet Laureate makes a case for being able to describe the simplicity of spring blooms. 

“The Indigenous poet says/‘Stang tse temxwilia!’/and writes about daffodils/and the untouchable beauty/of living a poet’s life,” . Translated as “what the hail,” Priest said the saying in the previous sentence is the closest you’ll get to a swear word in Xwlemi Chosen (the Lummi Nation language). 

When Gov. Jay Inslee named her Poet Laureate this time last year — in conjunction with National Poetry Month, which takes place every April — Priest had an agenda. The primary goals during her two-year term were to celebrate poetry in the state’s tribal communities and to use her skills to increase appreciation of the natural world and the threats facing it. 

As the author of the poetry collections “Patriarchy Blues” — which garnered her an American Book Award in 2018 — and “Sublime Subliminal,” Priest has long used her voice to draw attention to issues that deserve further contemplation. And when she joins fellow poets Saturday, April 2 for a reading and discussion on “Poetry and Civic Life,” it will be with the shared goal of highlighting the vibrant poetry community in Washington state while exploring the power of poetry to enact social change. 

The free event will take place at Hugo House in Seattle, but will also be available to live stream through ArtsWA, and will be recorded for broadcasting purposes by Seattle Channel.