Day 7: "Swear Words" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

I "met" South Indian-Filipina poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil via Twitter after attending an Academy of American Poets reading at the New York Public Library two summers ago. Aimee was not a featured reader, but was invited up by her friend, featured reader Ross Gay.

I picked Aimee's poem, "Swear Words", for the tour because I so relate to her growing up with relatives who cursed creatively in Tagalog. I don't curse reflexively as a result, thank goodness. I do it consciously, sparingly, to great effect. —Gerald So