Thoughtson aTuesday
Tell me when it’s outIn the first collection of her poetry, spanning over 50 years of work from Mississippi to Washington, D.C. to Cuba to the western states, poet and activist Loretta Merkel Strharsky writes of the quiet beauty of nature, personal relationships, and socio-political dynamics, giving voice to the unheard and unseen.
From the book
Lilacs
I wasted twenty-three minutes studying the lilacs,
waiting for them to open.
I knew it was much too early, a bit too cold and overcast
but I waited anyway.
I so wanted them to open,
so needed their reminder of a little girl who loved lilacs
and the lilies of the valley that thrived beneath that massive bush.
I did not have the joy of marveling at the tiny 4-pronged floweret
that only gathers its grace when among its peers.
It was a day when only old fashioned lilacs would do.
05/17/2021
— Loretta Merkel Strharsky
Loretta Merkel Strharsky
was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the eldest of five children. She taught school in Mississippi before moving to Washington, D.C., then California, and finally Colorado. She has been a poet since her teenage years.
Read about her activism at 10001ways.com.
About the art
The illustrations are by Rini Templeton, used with permission.
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