a mirror poem: maya angelou’s quarter, by Sister Lou Ella Hickman, I.W.B.S.

The Maya Angelou Quarter, 2022. Artist, unknown employee of US government.

            a mirror poem: maya angelou’s quarter
                       
                        she gave us wings
                       now embossed on a shiny coin 
                        rise
                      on the current of life
                        her words told us
                        rise  
                        her river flowing voice sang
                        rise
​
                        the currency she bequeath us

                        rise

                        the currency she bequeath us
 
                        rise
​
                        her river flowing voice sang
                        rise
                        her words told us
                        on the current of life
                        rise
                        now embossed on a shiny coin
                        she gave us wings

Sister Lou Ella Hickman, I.W.B.S.

Sister Lou Ella has a master’s in theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and is a former teacher and librarian. She is a certified spiritual director as well as a poet and writer.  Her poems have appeared in numerous magazines such as America, US Catholic, Commonweal, The Christian Century, Presence, Prism, and several anthologies.  She was a Pushcart nominee in 2017 and 2020. Five poems from her book, she: robed and words, set to music by James Lee III were performed on May 11, 2021. The soloist was the opera singer Susanna Phillips, principal clarinetist Anthony McGill of the New York Philharmonic and Grammy® nominated pianist Mayra Huang.  The arrangement was part of a concert held at Y92 in New York City. The group of songs is entitled “Chavah’s Daughters Speak.” Another concert was held in Cleveland, Ohio on March 28, 2023.  The soloist was Elena Perroni.