Sitting on the stoop, the mist
kissing the crowns of trees
also kisses me
*
Surprises me every year
the way greens deepen
as leaves grow old
*
Monarch, what are you waiting for
on that plume
of pampas?
*
Like sunset, some pain
glows for hours
after the sun is gone
*
Peaceful tonight
but how will it feel tomorrow —
dying?
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Joy Ladin has published ten books of poetry, including Shekhinah Speaks; National Jewish Book Award winner The Book of Anna; Lambda Literary Award finalists Transmigration and Impersonation, the latter of which was recently reissued in a free revised edition from Double Back Books. A new collection, Family, is forthcoming from Persea in 2024. Her work has been recognized with a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Fulbright Scholarship, among other honors.
