Sky of Four Sisters<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Four firs marked the northern edge
\nof our acres. Our welcome, we
\nwatched them for miles calling us
\nhome. Our warriors, they shielded us
\nfrom the worst of winter storms, moss
\ncushioning our ice. In summer we
\ncamped beneath their feathered
\nshade, lazy with evergreen breezes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe live at Four Sisters,\u201d we would say
\nand everyone knew our place.<\/p>\n
So that after a lightning strike took down
\nthe eastern-most tree, we didn\u2019t change
\nour address, still seeing her sway
\nlike a Kirlian print, pinnacle home to falcon
\nand crow, needles a mist of cocoon spin.<\/p>\n
\u2018Four Sisters\u2019 on a mailbox;
\nhow memory continues a sacred name.
\nHow some bonds have such deep
\nroots, that even the wind
\nhonors their space.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Sky of Four Sisters” was previously published in Caesura.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joanne M. Clarkson<\/a> is the author of two books of poems: Pacing the Moon<\/em> (Chantry Press) and Crossing Without Daughters <\/em>(March Street Press). Her work has appeared recently in Hospital Row, Amoskeag Review, Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose about Alzheimer’s Disease,<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/a>and Shadow and Light: A Literary Anthology on Memory<\/em>. <\/a>She has a Master\u2019s Degree in English and has taught but currently works as a Registered Nurse specializing in Hospice and Community Nursing in Olympia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sky of Four Sisters Four firs marked the northern edge of our acres. Our welcome, we watched them for miles calling us home. Our warriors, they shielded us from the worst of winter storms, moss cushioning our ice. In … Continue reading