Tuesday, July 25, 2023

SUMMER OF THE ELEMENTS 2023

by Sister Lou Ella Hickman, OVISS




a seething cauldron


fire   water   drought of air and earth

                       

bitter flames

birthing a dying cough of dust

indifferent flooding

arrid soil

are you

the voices boiling

out of our restless anger

our restless fear

the restless grief

of our barren and fractured hearts

 

         

Sister Lou Ella has a master’s in theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and is a former teacher and librarian. She is a certified spiritual director as well as a poet and writer. Her poems have appeared in numerous magazines such as AmericaUS Catholic, Commonweal, The Christian Century, PresencePrism, and several anthologies. She was a Pushcart nominee in 2017 and 2020. Five poems from her book, she: robed and words, set to music by James Lee III were performed on May 11, 2021 as part of a concert held at Y92 in New York City. The group of songs is entitled “Chavah’s Daughters Speak.” Another concert was held in Cleveland, Ohio on March 28, 2023.