Seasons
…..
In the deep winter of our family’s fracture
when the frozen ground cracked beneath my feet
my father told me all is not what it appears.
The barren tree, its stone-cold bark
and brittle branches gnarled like aching fingers
was not dead but dormant.
Slow sap gathering, invisible
as patience or courage, whispering
liquid tones, faith in the coming spring.
…..
This poem is from the chapbook Fragile Bones, Fierce Heart by Lisa Shulman (Finishing Line Press) and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/fragile-bones-fierce-heart-by-lisa-shulman/
The poems in Fragile Bones, Fierce Heart weave together observations on nature and the human experience, exploring such topics as climate change, social justice, school shootings, and grief. With vivid imagery and lyricism, these poems invite the reader to connect with the natural world, with hope, and with each other.
Lisa Shulman is a writer, children’s book author, and teacher. Her work has appeared in ONE ART, Catamaran, the San Diego Poetry Annual, Minnow Literary Magazine, The Best Small Fictions, California Quarterly, and a number of other journals and anthologies. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and a winner in the Jessamyn West Creative Writing contest, Lisa’s poetry has also been performed by Off the Page Readers Theater. She lives in Northern California where she teaches poetry with California Poets in the Schools.
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