Ukrainian Pioneer's First Winter, by Joan Leotta

A Ukrainian Pioneer's First Winter, by William Kurelek (Canada) 1973.

Ukrainian Pioneer's First Winter

Slogging through snow so
deep, so deep
Like the waters crossed to come
To this new land so
deep, so deep
Like the snow in Ukraine it is
deep, so deep.
As they struggle toward
nearest neighbour's house,
do they recall their struggles
crossing watery depths?
Or do they think at all
trying to survive snow that's
deep, so deep.

Joan Leotta

This poem was written in response to the surprise challenge, ekphrastic poems on Canadian art.

Joan Leotta has been playing with words on page and stage since childhood in Pittsburgh. She is a writer and story performer. Her Legacy of Honor series feature strong Italian-American women. Her poetry and essays appear or are forthcoming in Gnarled Oak, the A-3 Review, Hobart Literary Review, Silver Birch, Peacock, and Postcard Poems and Prose among others. Her first poetry chapbook, Languid Lusciousness with Lemon, was just released by Finishing Line Press. Joan's picture books from Theaqllc, Whoosh!, Summer in a Bowl, Rosa and the Red Apron, and Rosa's Shell celebrate food and family. Her  award-winning short stories are collected in Simply a Smile. You can find more about her work on her blog at www.joanleotta.wordpress.com