Kersten Christianson
Mantra
Praise the spruce cone
spring-stretching its scales.
Praise the kingfisher,
beak-blitzing the silent estuary.
Praise the beard lichen,
sway-draping from the high branch.
Praise Fleetwood Mac
grind-crooning a pace for my joyful step.
Praise the great blue heron,
fish-stalking the tidal zone.
Praise the wild gust,
nudge-hinting of rain.
Praise pollinating spruce cones
wind-twisting across mountains.
Praise warmed, limber legs,
wander-following a wild path.
Kersten Christianson is a raven-watching, moon-gazing Alaskan. When not exploring the summer lands and dark winter of the Yukon Territory, she resides in Sitka, Alaska, with her husband and photographer, Bruce Christianson, and daughter Rie. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) through the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2016. Kersten’s recent work has appeared in Cirque, Tidal Echoes, and Sheila-Na-Gig. Her poetry collection titled Something Yet to Be Named, by Aldrich Press, along with a chapbook titled What Caught Raven’s Eye, by Petroglyph Press, are forthcoming in 2017. Kersten co-edits the quarterly journal Alaska Women Speak. She blogs at kerstenchristianson.com.
Mantra
Praise the spruce cone
spring-stretching its scales.
Praise the kingfisher,
beak-blitzing the silent estuary.
Praise the beard lichen,
sway-draping from the high branch.
Praise Fleetwood Mac
grind-crooning a pace for my joyful step.
Praise the great blue heron,
fish-stalking the tidal zone.
Praise the wild gust,
nudge-hinting of rain.
Praise pollinating spruce cones
wind-twisting across mountains.
Praise warmed, limber legs,
wander-following a wild path.
Kersten Christianson is a raven-watching, moon-gazing Alaskan. When not exploring the summer lands and dark winter of the Yukon Territory, she resides in Sitka, Alaska, with her husband and photographer, Bruce Christianson, and daughter Rie. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) through the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2016. Kersten’s recent work has appeared in Cirque, Tidal Echoes, and Sheila-Na-Gig. Her poetry collection titled Something Yet to Be Named, by Aldrich Press, along with a chapbook titled What Caught Raven’s Eye, by Petroglyph Press, are forthcoming in 2017. Kersten co-edits the quarterly journal Alaska Women Speak. She blogs at kerstenchristianson.com.