The root of the word language is
Tongue
Tongue flicking fingers
holding pen
Converting flavor
into words
And power
To name,
finite
Tongue, keeper of
Khechari Mudra and
vishuddha
Palate mirroring pelvis mirroring uvula mirroring diaphragm
Vestibules collecting and coalescing
Inspiration
Harnessed, bridled, sometimes
Biting
Kundalini rising
Serpentine
Tongue,
Threshold of new worlds and words.
Liberated and shed
of stagnation.
Clarifying through breath ushered
Into form
Licking clean
The fondled scripture
And imagination
*****(Ham)******
..............
Poem by Dr. Allison Mitch. Work is copyright protected, please cite accordingly. For correspondence, please email wildwomaninthesuburbs@gmail.com
Background: This poem contains several themes, pulled from tantric yoga. Vishuddha is the throat chakra, center of self-expression and purification, related to elements of ether, air, smoke, sound, hearing, taste, smell, and the seed sound ham. The throat can be manipulated to form the Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock), to move or contain prana.
Khechari Mudra is a sacred seal - tongue to roof of mouth, that spot between soft and hard palate. Mudras are like bandhas in their intent to move energies (prana). Translated as “one who moves the sky”, the practitioner is said to unite with the universal divine. The translation is dear to me, as it alludes to the manipulation of ether, sound, air, all crafted by throat and tongue into some form of artistry.
Language is sacred, in part because it creates and connects and validates, while it also has the power to separate, harm, weaponize. As a word weaver, the beatified nature of speech is intuitive and always near. Thanks for reading. <3