"Poetry is our most natural connection between one another." So says Ronda Miller, a poet who resides in Lawrence, KS. Ronda's poems ring with the bold truth of her life experiences.
Already published in many journals, Moon Stain is her second published book of poetry. She was raised in the High Plateau area of northwest Kansas on her grandparents farm. It was here that nature sowed the seeds to heal a troubled heart and where the poet in her was released.
Moon Stain is the title of her book and also the name of the first poem the reader is treated to. It is, I must admit, my favorite. There are many other fine poems but this one touched me when I first read it and does each time I read it again. A child whose mother has died experiences the pain of loss again when she finds a stillborn calf in a barn. The simple telling of how it affects her brought a lot of emotion to this reader.
Many of the poems reflect the healing balm of the Kansas prairie throughout the poet's lifetime. Others detail her lovers, substance abuse, birth, her family, even a very old coat--all the things that have made her the person she is today.
In Stone Eyed Cold Girl, the poet curses her mother for committing suicide and leaving her wounded for life. In The Year I Went Missing, she writes of what may have been a typical teen rebellion--she runs away and experiences life on her own. One of the final poems in the book is titled Meeting Noah, a description of a visit to the grave of a four day old infant with the baby's father. This one reached my heart as a mother who visits two such graves. The reader would not have had to experience such loss to be touched by this poem. It is so well written that anyone would feel the scene described.
The section titles all deal with the moon. Listed in order, they are Blood Moon, New Moon, Moon Shadows, Moonbeams, and Full Moon.
Ronda Miller's search for nurturing and love has led to difficult times in her life but it has also brought an awakening through her poetry. In her final poem in Moon Stain, Ronda Miller lets her readers know she has reached acceptance and peace in her life. This is a book to be read multiple times.
Moon Stain can be ordered at Meadowlark Books or Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Read the title/poem, Moon Stain, here. Reading it just might entice you to purchase the book.
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