Written by: Liam Smith
Despite a rigid poetic structure, Tommy Pico’s book Nature Poem uses fluid prose and strong personality to form a narrative of self-exploration. Published in 2017, the book traverses Pico’s identity as a queer NDN (not dead native) through the environments surrounding him in New York City.
Every time I reread Nature Poem, it reminds me that great poetry doesn’t describe an experience; it is the experience. As I mentioned, the poems follow the same basic structure; always untitled and (almost) always written in couplets. However, the language wanders frequently, between images of his dating life, favorite musicians, and childhood experiences as a queer NDN. Often the couplets are only loosely connected, but they all contribute to Pico’s central theme of self-discovery. Pico uses slang (go off, slay) and shorthand (yr, cdnt) throughout the book to weave poetic language, therefore his infectious personality into his poetry. This gives the readers a heightened sense of intimacy with the speaker, we feel that Pico is saying everything EXACTLY as he would say it in person. Together, these elements curated a unique reading experience for me.
Although the book uses informal or satirical language, Nature Poem sees Tommy Pico reflect on more serious traumas; his poetry about existing as a queer NDN delves into instances of homophobia and his struggles with systemic violence perpetrated against indigenous peoples. Notably, Pico describes an incident of verbal assault from NYU students, and how he’s forced into becoming accustomed to this treatment. Pico frequently gets vulnerable about anti-indigenous violence and the high suicide rate on NDN’s; however, I believe his most vulnerable writing is on page 45. In this poem, Pico seems to embody his ancestors, describing how violence from Americans attempted to fracture their physical form as well as their indigenous culture. This is one of only a few poems that don’t use couplets, the shorthand and slang are gone as well. The writing is extremely vulnerable and, as always, the poem is so masterfully done.
Nature Poem is Tommy Pico’s brilliant exploration of his identity through his NYC surroundings. For me, this book is a must-read and is easily one of my favorite poetry books ever. As a queer person myself, Tommy Pico is a huge inspiration to me; I admire the incredibly vulnerable, yet intoxicating narrative he’s created in Nature Poem.
Featured Image Caption: Tommy Pico for Interview Magazine