April is U'am Mașad in the Tohono O'odham language, meaning “Yellow Moon.” And for good reason: the valleys and foothills are blanketed in the blossoms of three species of Parkinsonia, or Palo Verde trees. Join us for a unique creative workshop exploring O’odham history and place with Amy Juan and poetry writing with Logan Phillips.
Length: 2 hours
This is a private page and is only for students who purchased tickets for the series or the March workshop. Please do not share this page or the video link.
O'odham words and places mentioned:
- masad: month
- u'am: yellow
- ban: coyote
- Baboquivari Mountains, Baboquivari Peak
- I'itoi, creator
Here is an online dictionary created in the early 2000 by Drs. Michael T Hammond and Ofelia Zepeda, at the University of Arizona.
Species of palo verde trees:
- blue palo verde (Parkinsonia floridum)
- foothills palo verde (Parkinsonia microphyllum)
- Mexican palo verde (Parkinsonia mexicanum)
When you complete the workshop, please provide us with feedback!
Here is the recorded workshop which will be available until September 12, 2022:
Our tejido poem, "Under the Palo Verde:"
Under the Palo Verde yellow is citrus, it bursts inside our hearts
Yellow is piercing the laminate sky under the Palo Verde
Under the Palo Verde from green to bloom
soft and hard edges yellow is a burst of sunshine
Under the Palo Verde dreaming longing for oncoming rain
watching yellow Moon rising over mountains — sky islands
a glowing electric renewal
Under the Palo Verde its always a celebration of birth
Under the Palo Verde the distant golden mirage glimmers
Our group's "tejido" poem as revealed on chat
"Awash in Yellow" by Dan Collins
Yellow moon rising over mountains - Sky Islands -
illuminating green sticks of palo verde skeletons
casting shadows in Desert Seas awash with
Mexican gold poppies, nodding in their evening naps.
Is this what Yellow is? revealing things once hidden
under shrouds of dull, drab darkness;
the Desert holds nothing at night not
Present in day, and nothing to fear, only cheer as
Yellow illuminates thoughts clearing, once cloudy,
steps stumbling, now steady, doubts circling
and swirling in unending streams down
Desert washes - washed away.
"Yellow" by Linda Doughty
Yellow is exuberance loosed
from green to bloom,
bucking in warmth.
Yellow is light,
bitter spice,
surprise, then delight.
Yellow is inhale or exhale,
spring or fall,
first or last.
Yellow is small sunbursts
penetrating eyelids,
I walk on life in process.
Yellow is straining light
towards light.
I give up.
Yellow.