Vow of Silence
August 2024 Poetry Selection
I have less to say
and too many words
with which to say it...
I have less to say
and too many words
with which to say it...
First Tomato
July 2024 Poetry Selection
The first tomato ripened
over the weekend
I was too busy to notice.
The first tomato ripened
over the weekend
I was too busy to notice.
Go into All the World
June 2024 Poetry Selection
She watches from her kitchen window
whenever the mesas hide themselves
behind a gray summer mantle,
its hem caught on the desert...
She watches from her kitchen window
whenever the mesas hide themselves
behind a gray summer mantle,
its hem caught on the desert...
Land of Grace
May 2024 Poetry Selection
This land is a Bible you can read
with every sense. Even when all the time
is washed from my days...
This land is a Bible you can read
with every sense. Even when all the time
is washed from my days...
Phoebe, The Little Voice Heard ‘Round the World
April 2024 Poetry Selection
Until then, Mercury was the ultimate
messenger in Rome,
as was Hermes in Greece...
Until then, Mercury was the ultimate
messenger in Rome,
as was Hermes in Greece...
How Do You Get Rid of a God
February 2024 Poetry Selection
I heard you are supposed to
make an offering to the gods
so they come to you and
begin to fix what is left.
I heard you are supposed to
make an offering to the gods
so they come to you and
begin to fix what is left.
Come, all sisters
January 2024 Poetry Selection
Come, all sisters
join our caravan.
Our journey, far from over,
portends our destination.
Come, all sisters
join our caravan.
Our journey, far from over,
portends our destination.
Kind of Okay with It
November 2023 Poetry Selection
It’s the age
of kind of knowing:
As in, I kind of know
what a partridge is...
It’s the age
of kind of knowing:
As in, I kind of know
what a partridge is...
CONFESSION
October 2023 Poetry Selection
Bless me, Father, it has been,
oh my God, seven years
since my last confession,
you know, after the accident...
Bless me, Father, it has been,
oh my God, seven years
since my last confession,
you know, after the accident...
Damaris of Athens
September 2023 Poetry Selection
Damaris peered into alleyways, stumbled along porticos,
her eyes enflamed by the hot light of stones...
Damaris peered into alleyways, stumbled along porticos,
her eyes enflamed by the hot light of stones...
Buoyancy and Splash
This special edition Untold Volumes poetry selection was written by the late Virginia Ramey Mollenkott and originally published in the Fall 1996 edition of "Update," the EEWC Newsletter.
Offering Apples at the Statue of Confucius
August 2023 Poetry Selection
What is the ritual when the statue is
in the open air and my offering is
an apple that slid out of my bag
and rolled along the subway floor?
What is the ritual when the statue is
in the open air and my offering is
an apple that slid out of my bag
and rolled along the subway floor?
Bare Bones
July 2023 Poetry Selection
I jumped into the river
bare
to cleanse myself
from you...
I jumped into the river
bare
to cleanse myself
from you...
Being Here Without You
June 2023 Poetry Selection
Your people ruined us once
because of something
they feared about me.
It took me years to start looking
for you again...
Your people ruined us once
because of something
they feared about me.
It took me years to start looking
for you again...
Delilah in Gaza
March 2023 Poetry Selection
You have heard of Samson and the wreckage of pillars.
Listen to me. Samson had the strength of a giant and the soul of a brute...
You have heard of Samson and the wreckage of pillars.
Listen to me. Samson had the strength of a giant and the soul of a brute...
Opening a Pomegranate
January 2023 Poetry Selection
Surely this is the fruit
That Eve once plucked—
Not a bright, wholesome apple
With thin skin and pale flesh...
Surely this is the fruit
That Eve once plucked—
Not a bright, wholesome apple
With thin skin and pale flesh...
Do not tell me God is light
December 2022 Poetry Selection
Do not tell me God is light
My God is dark
She slithers through the crevices of night
and kisses pain with love...
Do not tell me God is light
My God is dark
She slithers through the crevices of night
and kisses pain with love...
Song Without Words
November 2022 Poetry Selection
What if
instead of developing language
we had chosen to remain content
with gestures and with music?
What if
instead of developing language
we had chosen to remain content
with gestures and with music?
The Angel Gabriel Balks
October 2022 Poetry Selection
Say what? She’s not going to buy it.
Another Leda and the Swan or Perseus?
Why another myth?
Say what? She’s not going to buy it.
Another Leda and the Swan or Perseus?
Why another myth?
Why I’d Look Back
September 2022 Poetry Selection
Perhaps it was the vase handed down from my mother
or maybe the albums of my children’s photos...
Perhaps it was the vase handed down from my mother
or maybe the albums of my children’s photos...
How to Do Nothing
August 2022 Poetry Selection
Give yourself permission to sit this one out—
not everything needs to be fixed today.
Your sofa is the destination of the route.
Give yourself permission to sit this one out—
not everything needs to be fixed today.
Your sofa is the destination of the route.
The Woman Who Refused
July 2022 Poetry Selection
Xerxes was drunk, no other way to say it.
For six months, he strutted, bragged,
showed off his riches. For a full week,
he feasted and drank with princes
Xerxes was drunk, no other way to say it.
For six months, he strutted, bragged,
showed off his riches. For a full week,
he feasted and drank with princes
Polaris Abandoned
June 2022 Poetry Selection
The north star has fallen
It's still there, in the sky
but we've tilted away
and it's no longer a reliable guide
The north star has fallen
It's still there, in the sky
but we've tilted away
and it's no longer a reliable guide
That is You
May 2022 Poetry Selection
I looked out upon the white-cloaked mountain
and All that is Holy, She said “That is you.”
I looked out upon the white-cloaked mountain
and All that is Holy, She said “That is you.”
Housecleaning
April 2022 Poetry Selection
Thanks to that plucky holy man,
I’m happy to report they are packing up.
I filched his trick: invite them to live in harmony.
Thanks to that plucky holy man,
I’m happy to report they are packing up.
I filched his trick: invite them to live in harmony.
Jesus Illuminates His Latest Work of Art
March 2022 Poetry Selection
With all due respect, I call it “The Boss’s Dinner.”
We’d hang out in this upper room frequently
to debrief and strategize...
With all due respect, I call it “The Boss’s Dinner.”
We’d hang out in this upper room frequently
to debrief and strategize...
Pastoral Counseling
February 2022 Poetry Selection
She told me
that she believed in the covenant of marriage,
that she had decided to leave her husband...
She told me
that she believed in the covenant of marriage,
that she had decided to leave her husband...
See in the Dark
January 2022 Poetry Selection
One day
the moon got bored
of being worshipped
all the time
One day
the moon got bored
of being worshipped
all the time
A blessing or a curse
December 2021 Poetry Selection
Called Mary of Magdala
I was possessed by seven demons.
They subdued me,
trampled my body, invaded my soul.
Called Mary of Magdala
I was possessed by seven demons.
They subdued me,
trampled my body, invaded my soul.
Adventus Elizabeth
November 2021 Poetry Selection
Behind closed doors
the men talked, unwelcoming
no one asked
me
Behind closed doors
the men talked, unwelcoming
no one asked
me
Pillar of Salt
October 2021 Poetry Selection
First Thought With the Kevlar glove of the angel on her wrist she spoke: I know
we have to go. I know the smell of fear...
First Thought With the Kevlar glove of the angel on her wrist she spoke: I know
we have to go. I know the smell of fear...
Salome Listens to Yeshua
September 2021 Poetry Selection
Yeshua saw at parties
that I was polite,
that I feigned interest
in most men’s revelations about God...
Yeshua saw at parties
that I was polite,
that I feigned interest
in most men’s revelations about God...
God’s Response to Being Asked: What’s Your Preferred Pronoun?
August 2021 Poetry Selection
Imagine that awkward moment when mortals arrive
at my pearly gates only to find I am neither XX nor XY.
Imagine that awkward moment when mortals arrive
at my pearly gates only to find I am neither XX nor XY.
When Mystery Knocks
July 2021 Poetry Selection
You feel like you’ve been waiting forever
but instead of a robed savior, it’s the Unknown
easing onto the porch and knocking.
You feel like you’ve been waiting forever
but instead of a robed savior, it’s the Unknown
easing onto the porch and knocking.
To Mend Them
June 2021 Poetry Selection
Some days I’m tired of the making
but that might be an indication
I’m trying to do it alone
and that’s how you end up with armor
Some days I’m tired of the making
but that might be an indication
I’m trying to do it alone
and that’s how you end up with armor
Divine Seamstress
May 2021 Poetry Selection
We, the childish, wear our clothes like skin,
Like a birthright.
But a divine cadre of women sew
In the deep of the maze, and far from the exit.
We, the childish, wear our clothes like skin,
Like a birthright.
But a divine cadre of women sew
In the deep of the maze, and far from the exit.
True Religion
April 2021 Poetry Selection
On Easter Sunday, we paraded white and pink
patent leather shoes past Mrs. Criple’s porch.
She offered applause, foil wrapped coins that
tasted more of wax than chocolate.
On Easter Sunday, we paraded white and pink
patent leather shoes past Mrs. Criple’s porch.
She offered applause, foil wrapped coins that
tasted more of wax than chocolate.
In the Beginning…According to Eve
January 2021 Poetry Selection
It was color,
calling from across the field
or through the woods.
Close up it had shape
and I got to name it.
It was color,
calling from across the field
or through the woods.
Close up it had shape
and I got to name it.
When something new is on the way
December 2020 Poetry Selection
I lost hold of all I thought I could keep
Lost all hope for what was to be
The knowing of what I had come to do
I lost hold of all I thought I could keep
Lost all hope for what was to be
The knowing of what I had come to do
Preparing Jesus for Sunday
November 2020 Poetry Selection
Anyway, try not to doze during the homily.
No one can best your show on the Mount.
The way you used anaphora was brilliant
and so was ... but I digress.
Anyway, try not to doze during the homily.
No one can best your show on the Mount.
The way you used anaphora was brilliant
and so was ... but I digress.
Groundless
October 2020 Poetry Selection
The Virus can kill,
but so can breathing
hate on my neighbor.
The Virus can kill,
but so can breathing
hate on my neighbor.
Mustard Seed
September 2020 Poetry Selection
she fixed her eyes on her own feet,
small compared to others’ prints fencing
her in for fear she’d stray
without patronizing trail markers...
she fixed her eyes on her own feet,
small compared to others’ prints fencing
her in for fear she’d stray
without patronizing trail markers...
From Under the Air
July 2020 Poetry Selection
When you weep
and grow weary
of the pain
in this world you made...
When you weep
and grow weary
of the pain
in this world you made...
I Bow to You
June 2020 Poetry Selection
I bow to every flower I see and
every flower I remember,
every scent that surprises or lingers
that I can still recall years later...
I bow to every flower I see and
every flower I remember,
every scent that surprises or lingers
that I can still recall years later...
Redeeming Mother
May 2020 Poetry Selection
I cannot forget you, child.
“I ache to nurture you, to feed you;
my breasts fill and must give.”
I cannot forget you, child.
“I ache to nurture you, to feed you;
my breasts fill and must give.”
Passover 5780
Special Poetry Selection
in this plague spring
when the leaders fail us
we try to keep each other
alive we are midwives
of solitude and survival
in this plague spring
when the leaders fail us
we try to keep each other
alive we are midwives
of solitude and survival
Woman in Repose
April 2020 Untold Volumes Selection is an artwork by Dorothea Lee. "What is it like to honor a woman’s body instead of use it as a form or an art object, especially when removing it from context and working with it in collage?"
Ash Wednesday Thirteen Ways
February 2020 Poetry Selection
I have never trusted
a priest with
my whole heart,
not one.
I have never trusted
a priest with
my whole heart,
not one.
Redeliverance
January 2020 Poetry Selection
God, did you have to walk gingerly
after giving birth to me
Had you grown heavy with the weight
of my becoming
God, did you have to walk gingerly
after giving birth to me
Had you grown heavy with the weight
of my becoming
Magnificat
December 2019 Poetry Selection
I sealed my fate with my yes—
soul sanctified, body broken
confluence overflowing
I am the Lord’s servant
I sealed my fate with my yes—
soul sanctified, body broken
confluence overflowing
I am the Lord’s servant
I’m ceded, I’ve stopped being theirs
November 2019 Poetry Selection
The name they dropped upon my face
With water, in the country church,
Is finished using now...
The name they dropped upon my face
With water, in the country church,
Is finished using now...
Golden Thread
October 2019 Poetry Selection
Maybe I am just a golden thread
on God’s spindle,
tethered from within.
Maybe I am just a golden thread
on God’s spindle,
tethered from within.
Herstory: A Proverbs 31 Woman
September 2019 Poetry Selection
Burning the candle on both ends
she does not dream anymore
except of dishes and stitches so
it seems her work never ends...
Burning the candle on both ends
she does not dream anymore
except of dishes and stitches so
it seems her work never ends...
Behind the Scenes Theodicy: Three Stories of Why It Happened
August 2019 Poetry Selection
I. The angels stood guard like the hollyhocks
In my garden: swaying in the wind, yet
Immobile. A portal had opened, how they knew not...
I. The angels stood guard like the hollyhocks
In my garden: swaying in the wind, yet
Immobile. A portal had opened, how they knew not...
Passed Over
July 2019 Poetry Selection
Why should anyone die a sacrifice
when living blood flows in me
poured out and refreshed each moontide?
Why should anyone die a sacrifice
when living blood flows in me
poured out and refreshed each moontide?
Birding at Lemon Bay
June 2019 Poetry Selection
For weeks, I tried to spy a nesting pair
through a mounted white pipe;
peered at moss-padded sticks lodged
in the crown of a longleaf pine.
For weeks, I tried to spy a nesting pair
through a mounted white pipe;
peered at moss-padded sticks lodged
in the crown of a longleaf pine.
Hemorrhage
May 2019 Poetry Selection
You are electric
waltzing aware of privilege
storing that excess
energy in masculine swagger
You are electric
waltzing aware of privilege
storing that excess
energy in masculine swagger
A Visual Diary
February 2019 Poetry Selection
These grew and became works of art.
Reared and fostered by my own hands.
But these were not my literal children.
These grew and became works of art.
Reared and fostered by my own hands.
But these were not my literal children.
Glenmary Sister
January 2019 Poetry Selection
Fresh out of high school, a novice in a shortened habit
scoured remote hollers, visited coal camps, argued scrip...
Fresh out of high school, a novice in a shortened habit
scoured remote hollers, visited coal camps, argued scrip...
The Pastor Delivers a Box of Groceries on Christmas Eve
Christmas, 2018 Poetry Selection
Hail, darling, full of grace
Half grown, half girl, all of eighteen
That night I made pilgrimage to your trailer
Pale, sweaty, stringy blonde hair
Framing your sapphire eyes.
Hail, darling, full of grace
Half grown, half girl, all of eighteen
That night I made pilgrimage to your trailer
Pale, sweaty, stringy blonde hair
Framing your sapphire eyes.
The Last Stone
December 2018 Poetry Selection
I will not cobble together
a defense of myself
with lines from your holy book.
I will not cobble together
a defense of myself
with lines from your holy book.
Minimized Memoir
October 2018 Poetry Selection
Luke secondhand remembers harshly / Overlooked Martha: upset, anxious, aggressive, / distracted, troubled, bothered, encumbered, / fretting, fussing, busy, missing...
Luke secondhand remembers harshly / Overlooked Martha: upset, anxious, aggressive, / distracted, troubled, bothered, encumbered, / fretting, fussing, busy, missing...
Ancestor Alphabet
September 2018 Poetry Selection
I see the shape of the Alef and the shape of the Lamed / I see the shape of the final Tzadi and the shape of the Hay / I see the shape of your Nose and the shape of your Hands
I see the shape of the Alef and the shape of the Lamed / I see the shape of the final Tzadi and the shape of the Hay / I see the shape of your Nose and the shape of your Hands
Conjuration, Of Poet-Prophets and their Translators
August 2018 Poetry Selection
We are conjure women,
we who traverse portals opened by ancestral song,
we who dream the dreams and speak the tongues
of lands we have never seen.
We are conjure women,
we who traverse portals opened by ancestral song,
we who dream the dreams and speak the tongues
of lands we have never seen.
“Eve’s Summons” and “Maryam’s Labor”
July 2018 Poetry Selection
Maryam is giving birth
Her face is sweaty like a laborer,
like a marathon runner
God is her Doula massaging
the small of her back with a tennis ball
Maryam is giving birth
Her face is sweaty like a laborer,
like a marathon runner
God is her Doula massaging
the small of her back with a tennis ball
If Jesus Were Married
June 2018 Poetry Selection
If Jesus were married
it would help explain why
he valued women higher than his contemporaries
and risked his life to go against church teachings
If Jesus were married
it would help explain why
he valued women higher than his contemporaries
and risked his life to go against church teachings
