Alive by Joy Harjo

"Alive. This music rocks me. I drive the interstate, watch faces come and go on either side. I am free to be sung to; I am free to sing. This woman can cross any line."

When I read this part of the poem, I could almost feel the author coming to life again.  The author gains a new appreciation for life (or is reconnecting with her life).  She has an emotional response from the music, and she sees people coming and going when maybe she never took the time to notice.  It seems as though she has become an open vessel that has no worldly boundaries, ready to give and receive. Perhaps in this instance, a road trip is a way to reconnect with oneself.

Alive by Joy Harjo

"I drive the interstate, watch faces come and go on either side. I am free to be sung to; I am free to sign. This woman can cross any line."

I was not really sure of the reference made by this poem, but this part of the poem stood out to me. The author here uses the reference of "drive the interstate" as a way to express the freedom/escape gained by the women. I feel it kind of relate to Kerovac's On the Road that both shows that traveling serves a way to get away from some sort of distress and discontent.

Question: I feel this poem reflects some sort of the distress and fear faced by the woman and that she wants to get away with it. But I wonder what exactly is this sort of fear or distress that the author is referencing here?

"Alive" by Joy Harjo

"Sometimes I am afraid of the sound of soundlessness" makes me think that the author is holding herself back. Shes afraid. I think the poem is about escaping life in general. Especially the 6th stanza, "I tried every escape...". The author tried different ways of escaping everyday life even resulting to drinking. Nothing worked until she just stopped and really looked at what was around her. Once she realized that life is great she opened up and finally felt free.