Looking Up--By Maralee Gerke--United States

Looking Up

His favorite teacher
taught him to name the wild stars
that span the night sky.

Her gift, imprinted
on his youthful mind
remained for life.

As he looks up toward the stars,
he remembers it all.
Her passion to ignite the universe in him.

She shared her astral light
and reflected it back
in pinpoints of celestial memory.

Maralee Gerke lives and writes in Madras, Oregon. She is and avid reader and gardener. She describes herself as a work in progress. Her poems have been published in Calyx, Exit Thirteen, Moonset, Bathtub Gin, Anthology, Nerve Cowboy, Avocet, and Tigers Eye. She has published two books of poems and has had poetry and prose accepted in several anthologies. Her work can be seen online at Shadow Poetry, Long Story Short, and Moontown Café. She recently recorded 4 poems for the Oregon Poetic Voices Project. They can be heard at oregonpoeticvoices.org One of her poems “Refuge”, was recently selected to be printed as a limited edition broadside by the Penland School of Crafts.