SHHHH

by stella graham-landau

in memory of Andrea Gibson 
13 August 1975 — 14 July 2025

quiet settles on the sheets
eyelids closed
one final rest

their smile remains
last memory last touch
last blessing inhaled exhaled

their passion lifts 
into the air around us
ignites our faith

their lines of poetry 
vine around our hearts 
their legacy already in bloom

be inspired
let yourselves lean into joy
dig deeper into all aspects of life

every step 
every breath
carry hope forward

shhhh
now smile
all is well

stella lives in richmond, va and has been published in The 

New Verse News several times as well as in regional publications. she's grateful for the wonderful poetry communities that exist, encouraging all of us to find our voices and share our truths and wonderings.

THE WEATHERMAN CRIED

by Stella Graham-Landau

how many years has he 

shared warned cajoled explained

the likelihoods percentages and possibilities

where storms could land

still they argue

point to past failures and misses

their anecdotes and myths raised to the status of fact

he looks at his maps

the tiny mass of whirling white

swirling counterclockwise

this one is a monster

he apologizes for his tears

he is still in the throes of trauma

knowing how many folks died two weeks ago

when dire pleadings went unheeded

maybe he realizes that

his friends who will not leave their cats 

may not survive this storm

he wipes his eyes

he has no life preservers to toss

no life jackets to dispense

no paddleboards or inflatable rafts to offer

he only has science

and statistics

and words he hopes will save lives

he takes off his glasses

holds his head in his hands

i hope i’m wrong this time

Stella Graham-Landau has lived in hurricane territory most of her life. She has great respect for the power of these named storms and much gratitude for the meteorologists who share their insights in an effort to keep us safe.

PAULA REGO DIED TODAY

by stella graham-landau

The artist Paula Rego, who died [on June 8] aged 87, once said that she liked “to work on the edge”, and her many series of paintings and drawings, about the subjugation of women, abortion and the marriage market, cut across social perceptions of the role of women, and disrupted the male view of women and their sexuality. —The Guardian, June 8, 2022. Above: Abortion protest. Triptych, 1997-98, which helped change public opinion in Portugal. Photograph: Paula Rego, courtesy Marlborough International Fine Art via The Guardian.

a moment ago she was here

now all that is left are 

her dirty pieces of broken pastels

and a body of work

that leaves viewers disturbed

i am distressed that she is gone

no one is left to explain what she meant

painting women who look like men

and a man posed naked and emaciated

like a rotten pear in a still life

what would she paint next

what repellant image to make her point

she is no longer

still life or any life

only a collection

of discomforting images

and her signature

a reminder

life is stark

stella graham-landau is a writer and artist living in richmond, va. she has recently been published in Bare: An Unzipped Anthology.

AFRAID

by stella graham-landau

we did not learn 

at the police academy

how to handle traffic leaving costco

while navigating people running in the street carrying pet cats

when the world is burning before our eyes

nor was there a module in crime prevention on 

how to tell the difference between a masked customer

or a masked bandit

and how to stay healthy in either case

in crime scene management

we were only taught a prayer

to deal with multiple mass shooters in a mall

“you better pray that it’s just one shooter and that their gun jams”

on a regular december day in boulder 

with no snow on the ground

an ordinary man

on an ordinary task to buy soup for his sick wife 

knew how bad things were

not from the dense smoke blocking the sky

nor the galloping customers racing to their cars

not even the screams of children being dragged to safety

but the face of the police officer

directing traffic

with fear in his eyes

stella graham-landau is an artist and writer living in richmond, va. she is vaccinated, boosted, masked, and insistently optimistic that we will emerge as better, kinder citizens of the global village.

FOR KAMALA

by Stella Graham-Landau

We will be your mama’s eyes,
smiling and glistening
as you raise your hand.
We will clap and nod,
place our hands
over our hearts,
whispering, “That’s our girl.”
We will stand shoulder to shoulder with you
when you hold the Bible.
We will call our friends
and say,
“Isn’t she something!”
We will weave our arms
through yours
and march boldly down the street.
We will save a piece of broken ceiling,
wrap it in a sentimental scrap
and store it in a box
where you will find it some day
and know how proud we were.


Stella Graham-Landau is a poet and artist living in Richmond, VA where things are finally changing.