Merci by Julia Caroline Knowlton
Merci contains mercy, pure water
forgiving in a warm, swollen stream.
Merci is autumn mapping carpets of gold,
a red paper heart in midwinter snow.
Mercy is the thank you of warmth
after bitter cold, arms encircling sorrow,
recognition in one wise smile, hot sun
in the eyes, blue waves in a painted dream.
Julia Caroline Knowlton, PhD, MFA, is Professor of French at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. She is a Pushcart nominee and the recipient of an Academy of American Poets College Prize. The author of four books, she was named a 2018 Georgia Author of the Year for her chapbook The Café of Unintelligible Desire. Her poems have appeared in many journals, such as The Roanoke Review and Boston Literary Magazine.