© 2016, Text by Chris Santiago
© 2016, Cover art by Mary Austin Speaker
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher: Milkweed Editions, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.
(800) 520-6455
Published 2016 by Milkweed Editions
Printed in Canada
Cover design and art by Mary Austin Speaker
Frontispiece art by Yuri Santiago
Author photo by Joanna Demkiewicz
16 17 18 19 20 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
Milkweed Editions, an independent nonprofit publisher, gratefully acknowledges sustaining support from the Jerome Foundation; the Lindquist & Vennum Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Target Foundation; and other generous contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Also, this activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota. For a full listing of Milkweed Editions supporters, please visit www.milkweed.org.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Santiago, Chris, author.
Title: Tula : poems / Chris Santiago.
Description: First edition. | Minneapolis, Minnesota : Milkweed Editions, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016030738 (print) | LCCN 2016038345 (ebook) | ISBN 9781571314888 (paperback) | ISBN 9781571319548 (e-book)
Subjects: | BISAC: POETRY / American / General.
Classification: LCC PS3619.A573 A6 2016 (print) | LCC PS3619.A573 (ebook) | DDC 811/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030738
Milkweed Editions is committed to ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book production practices with this principle, and to reduce the impact of our operations in the environment. We are a member of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Tula was printed on acid-free 100% postconsumer-waste paper by Friesens Corporation.
For Yuri
for our mothers & fathers
for their mothers & fathers
& for our sons
Contents
1 Tula
2 The Poet’s Mother at Eleven, Killing a Chicken
3 Tula
4 Notation
5 Tula
6 Tula
1 Tula
2 [Island of the Shy Mynah Bird]
4 The Silverest Tongue in the Philippines
7 [Island of the Little Mouthfuls]
1 Tula
2
