I read a poem at my father’s funeral. White Flowers, by Mary Oliver. I stand at the podium, dressed in a bright outfit, and think about his inappropriate children. There’s me, jet-lagged, coming from as far away as I can fly and still be in America, reading a poem about sticky blossoms, sugary vines and […]
Shaun R. Pankoski
Shaun R. Pankoski (she/her) is a poet most recently from Volcano, Hawaii. A retired county worker and two time breast cancer survivor, she has been an artist’s model, modern dancer, massage therapist and an honorably discharged Air Force veteran. A 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, her poems have appeared here and in ONE ART, Quartet, SWIMM, Jackdaw Review, and MockingHeart Review, among others. She was selected as a finalist by Lefty Blondie Press for her chapbook manuscript, Tipping the Maids in Chocolate: Observations of Japan and as a first runner up for their Editors’ Choice Broadside Series for her poem, Lupine.
Mimosa Pudica
We call it shy grass, he said, as I pointed to the dark, creeping foliage, the pert pink flowers looking like miniature firework displays. Then he bent down, looked up at me, and ran his forefinger gently along one of the veins. The double compound leaflets folded― like synchronized swimmers, like tiny hands in prayer, […]