Poetry Unbound

Closing: Poems as Teachers (ft. Kai Cheng Thom) | Ep 7

May 17, 2024

Kai Cheng Thom, poet and author, discusses the power of poetry in addressing trauma, healing, and forgiveness. The podcast explores themes of vulnerability, intimacy, and the role of poetry as a teacher and a source of inspiration in challenging times. The episode showcases Kai's poem 'trauma is not sacred' which speaks to the pain and violence humans carry and inflict upon one another.

12:42

Creator website

Episode guests

Kai Cheng Thom

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Poetry offers a unique perspective on making something new amidst conflict by exploring art.

Acknowledging trauma, forgiveness, intimacy, vulnerability, and sharing love are crucial for healing.

Deep dives

Exploring Resistance in Conflict Resolution

The podcast delves into the concept of resistance in conflict resolution. The speaker, who worked in conflict resolution for years, observed how resistance often stems from fear of the unknown. By studying resistance and asking individuals about their reluctance to reach conclusions, the speaker highlighted the challenge of making reparation and change in conflict situations. The podcast emphasizes that facing the fear of the unknown can be aided by exploring art, particularly poetry, which offers a unique perspective on making something new amidst conflict.

Creating is Harder than Destroying

01:34

Introduction

2min

Exploring Poetry as Reflective Teachers of Human Conflict

3min

Exploring Trauma, Healing, and Forgiveness through Poetry

3min

Exploring Intimacy, Vulnerability, and Healing Through Poetry

2min

Exploring Poetry as a Teacher and Source of Inspiration

2min

In this concluding episode of "Poems as Teachers," our special miniseries on conflict and the human condition, host Pádraig Ó Tuama says the poems discussed in this offering are a different kind of teacher: “not as teachers that give us rules to follow — more so teachers that share something of their own intuition.” And for a final reflection, he offers Kai Cheng Thom’s “trauma is not sacred,” which speaks directly, fiercely, and lovingly to the pain, scars, and violence that we humans carry and inflict upon one another.

Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and community healer. Kai Cheng is the author of the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir; the essay collection I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes at the End of the World (an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book); the poetry collection a place called No Homeland (an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book); and the children's books From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (illustrated by Kai Yun Ching and Wai-Yant Li) and For Laika, the Dog Who Learned the Names of the Stars (illustrated by Kai Yun Ching). She won the Writers' Trust of Canada's Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers in 2017.

Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

This is the final episode of "Poems as Teachers," a special seven-part miniseries on conflict and the human condition.

We’re pleased to offer Kai’s poem, and invite you to read Pádraig’s weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound book, or listen back to all our episodes.