So I was intrigued by the Gershwin reference in ‘of thee I sing’. In Gershwin’s original, it’s almost a political campaign song and perhaps a bit cynical about whether relationships are genuine or not. I wonder what made you start with this in the title?
To tell you honestly, I haven’t seen or heard Gershwin’s of thee I sing before. And this is not to discredit the great Gershwin or his work, but coincidentally, somehow, both are very political. When I was writing this poem, I was thinking of writing just a love poem for the love of my life, Erika, even at the very peak of violence, of police officers abusing their power, of corruption. And in the process, I have written a piece that is loud and quiet at the same time. That even in this darkness and difficult times, when no one wants to hear us, I’d still want to sing for love, for this land, for this country.
Could you tell us about the epigraphs – the dedication maybe and also the use of Taylor Swift? She seems to be an interesting cipher in the literary community e.g. Instagram’s @taylorswift_as_books account. How did that work with incorporating her lines?
The dedication came like a beacon, or might I say, she found me where I couldn’t find myself, where I feel lost and empty. She loves Taylor Swift a lot, and with that in mind I have incorporated her lines in which propels the poem above what is normal. If you are gonna ask me, I think Taylor is a poet. I also think that she is lyrical genius, the way she constructs her song and purposely adds images that swiftly moves through her lines.
You have some incredible, original lines in this poem: “let me hold you / the way soldiers pin their hand / grenade close to their chest and mouth”. How do lines like this come to you? Do they arrive randomly, or do you have to work at carving out unique images like this one?
They came in like flashes, in fragments—a tapestry of thoughts. Writing poetry in a language that is not native to me, in a sense makes me think of ways or approach the English language in a different angle. One that is not rooted, but forms images that are unique and still has not lost its meaning.