Praise Song for Exiles, by Nancy Sobanik

Red Rock Lake, by Breehan James (USA) 2025

Praise Song for Exiles

Moon loosens her brimful scarf,  
turns away her dark side

and shakes silvered pins to shine 
the face of Red Rock Lake.

Lunar light strikes needle tips, 
falls through branches, breaks the glass 

of water, and She-who-paints-trout-with-rainbows 
lusters fish and turtle eyes alike.

Praise the nearby stand of red cedar--
Four Sisters who keep watch, 

tall yet spindly, for tree rings grow 
despite dark suns and times of thirst.

The four once ran on lacerated feet and sundered 
hearts from the thunder-bearing-black-sticks, 

until their children fell, came to rest 
in humus, swaddled with moss. 

Praise they who feed and weave 
native roots, await reawakening, 

faithful to Gitchi Manitou
beneath the plenilune gleam.
 
Praise Four Sisters, who sway and dream 
of willow baskets, braided and stout with berries;

of children, purpled of hand and tongue, 
leaping in shallows as blue deepens to black. 

Praise sisters everywhere, who long 
to slip their bark and dance, 

for they know the thunder 
has no home, but beats its drums over all 

corners of the earth, even where 
the Spirit-who-brings-light births morning.

Lake spirit, She-who-gentles-waves,
croons to the exiles,

to the rust-needled shore
a whispered wait-hush-wait.

Nancy Sobanik
​
A poet and Registered Nurse living in Maine, Nancy Sobanik (her/she) has recent work curated by The New Verse News, The Orchards Poetry Journal, Jackdaw Review, Hole in the Head Review. A Best of The Net and Pushcart nominee, she is a finalist in the Maine Chapbook Series 2025, and a three-time finalist awarded second and third place in the Maine Postmark Poetry Contest.  A manuscript screener for Alice James Books, her debut chapbook, The Unfolding, will be published by Finishing Line Press in May 2026