Women's poetry collected in new book

Poetry readers in Duluth are celebrating the appearance of a new book. It's a collection of poems by Minnesota women, going all the way back to pioneer days. It's called "To Sing Along the Way."

The following poem from the anthology is by Louise Leighton, who had three sons who fought in World War II:

To American Mothers

Now that the war is done,

Let us bury an unknown child

At Arlington.

A child who died alone

On a Chinese street, his body a pitiful

Cage of bone,

Or a child who lived in Greece,

Who cowered in caves and never knew

The ways of peace;

Or take a Jewish child

Whose delicate flesh was burned away

At Buchenwald.

Oh, let us bury here

A child without a name or a nation,

Kneel at the bier,

Never again supine,

But in bitter shame and grief, whispering:

This child was mine.

If I were the moon

by Ellie Schoenfeld

If I were the moon

I would turn your tide. You would draw maps of me,

would want to learn everything about my topography,

you would lick me to see

if I am made of green cheese or not.

You would memorize the names

of my mountains and seas.

If I were the moon

you would watch for me,

you would study my face and my curves

and the way my movements

make shadow pictures on your walls.

If I were the moon

you would smile at me

and I would climb in through your window.

I would fill your room

with my own particular madness inducing

lunacy producing light.

I would shine on you and make you howl

until I could taste my name

on your lips and in your mouth.

Ellie Schoenfeld's poem appears in the new book "To Sing Along the Way," published by New Rivers Press. She and other contributors will read their work in Somers Lounge at the College of St. Scholastica 7:30 PM Saturday night, March 24.  The event is free and open to everyone.  A book signing and refreshments follow the reading.