Echoes of Waking by Johanna H. Boers

April 2020 - July 2021

I woke before dawn in an echo

Of sleep, the owl outside my window called

Softly, a word, again,

A conversation, a longing

Of sleep, the owl outside my window called

From earlier, from later, from the deep

A conversation, a longing

A place deep where lovers live

From earlier, from later, from the deep

From that wide place we have to cross

A place deep where lovers live,

Or would have, had we found it

From that wide place we have to cross

To meet our longing,

Or would have, had we found it

Were we wild enough to give voice

Wild enough to stand on the edge of something

I woke before dawn in an echo

Like dawn, or loneliness, or knowing

Softly, a word, again

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Johanna is a partially self-taught poet.  Her poems tend to spring from nature in some way, either that which speaks to us in reflection or in contrast to our environment.  She enjoys using form to let the poem come forth but sometimes lets the poem freely speaks their minds and defend themselves in their making.  It is a process and dialogue she enjoys.