Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that / bottle of pop.
-- The Speaker (Lines 1-2)

Importance: In the opening lines, the speaker immediately issues directions to the reader to cease eating processed food. These lines could be understand as either humorous or offensive, but ultimately the speaker has the reader's best interests at heart. The word "pop" infuses a sense of regionalism in the poem since carbonated beverages are called different names according to location.

Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel the earth / gathering essences of plants to clean. // Give it back with gratitude.
-- The Speaker (Lines 5-7)

Importance: Harjo personifies wind by giving it an active and friendly presence. The notion of traveling that is introduced here repeats when the speaker depicts the reader's spirit traveling around later in the poem. The speaker also introduces the concept of reciprocal relationships by encouraging the reader to accept the wind's offering of breath and then...