ancestors
Inspired by Potawatomi writer and environmentalist, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and how her community views plants as ancestors and follow their wisdom for the community's ways of living, this zine includes short poems and photos capturing 4 plants (algae, moss, mangrove and liana and my learnings from them.
algae
this is my ancestor,
algae,
age around 3 billion years old,
living in a city,
i rarely meet them,
relaxing in their environment,
embracing the current.
being in the service of others,
an interdependent link
of a rich dynamic underworld,
holding the bad air,
so others can breathe clean air.
but growing too fast is a problem,
the sign of demise,
nothing good grows forever.
moss
this is my ancestor,
moss,
age around 450 million years old,
i meet them often,
but rarely acknowledge them.
emerging through the crack of a concrete wall,
on the rock on a freezing day,
on a decaying log in the middle of the forest.
they are everywhere,
yet I don’t see them.
they are everywhere,
with so much wisdom to offer.
of being small but vital to our ecosystem,
of being resilient and adaptable in any environment,
of sharing resources in times of scarcity.
so many lessons that I yearn to learn.
mangrove
this is my ancestor,
mangrove,
age around 66 million years old.
how can I not know about you?
you are so close, yet so far.
you have protected us all along,
yet, I have never met you,
until I visit your hometown.
sunk into salted mud,
from the root to the leaves,
in symbiosis with myriads of other relatives,
a sturdy house for crabs, mollusks, birds,
getting nutrients in return.
“you live so I can live.”
“your safety nurtures my health.”
liana
this is my ancestor,
liana,
age around 18 million years old.
spiraling into life,
hugging, holding, embracing,
leaning on others for support.
Isn’t it an instinct to lean on others?
Just as much as the desire to stand on my own.
Isn't it an instinct to have companions?
Just as much as the desire to embrace solitude.
Isn't it an instinct to build community?
Just as much as the desire to tend to myself.
liana was featured in It’s Freezing in LA: To Stand On Shifting Ground’ Edition