My sacred space, a bird flying to the feeder the shade of a tree, berries in the forest heat from the sun on the pane flames of experience lashing on glass the clear path of vision the straight edge of sky a parting of water picking us up placing us exactly there history has been shattered into pieces that will not fit together how large is loss how much does it take to fill how do we gather it in our arms when the city was destroyed with illness there was a place I could not reach right now a small animal is breaking free in the woods the milk of the moon is shining on these words that come from me and do not return empty. Copyright 2020 Grace Cavalieri
Bio:
Grace Cavalieri is Maryland’s tenth Poet Laureate. Her new book is WITH (Somondoco Press 2016.) She’s the author of several books and has also produced plays. Her most recent play is “Anna Nicole: Blonde Glory.” (Theatre for the New City, NYC 2012.) She celebrates 40 years on public radio with “The Poet and The Poem” now recorded at The Library of Congress. She’s taught at Antioch College and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She’s the founder of two poetry presses in DC, still thriving, and is presently the poetry columnist for The Washington Independent Review of Books. Grace Cavalieri was awarded the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from The Washington Independent Review. She received the George Garrett Award from AWP for Service to Literature; two Allen Ginsberg Awards ; Paterson Award; Bordighera Poetry Prize; and the inaugural Columbia Award; A Pen Fiction Award; plus CPB’s Silver Medal.
Donation Appeal:
Throughout June and July, we will be presenting on this web site work by poets and artists responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you will find these works relevant, comforting and inspiring as we all cope with the economic and health-related fallout.
As you view the work on this site each day, we would like to encourage you to donate to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Their mission “ is to feed our neighbors in need by providing dignified access to supplemental groceries. AFAC is seeing a record number of families due to the COVID-19 pandemic as families who never thought they would ever be in need are now showing up at our doors for much needed food.” And, in keeping with our hunger-focused efforts, you may also want to visit the Poetry X Hunger website where poems by many poets are posted and are being used by anti-hunger organizations.”
Throughout June and July, we will be presenting on this web site work by poets and artists responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you will find these works relevant, comforting and inspiring as we all cope with the economic and health-related fallout.
Please consider donating to AFAC. If you do, let us know which poet or artist inspired you so we can send you a personal thank you.
