Brenda Kay Ledford has been named Poet of the Month in this her birth month, in this U. S. A. National Poetry Month, April 2010. Brenda is a native born Appalachian poet living and writing in Clay County, North Carolina. She has published poetry widely and is the author of thee collections: Patchwork Memories, Shew Bird Mountain, and Sacred Fire.
Brenda Kay Ledford is the four time recipient of the prestigious Paul Green Award. She first won in 2005 for her poety book, Patchwork Memories. She won in 2006 for collecting the oral history of Velma Bean Moore. In 2007 she received the Paul Green Award for her poetry collection Shew Bird Mountain ( Finishing Line Press) and in 2009 she received the award for her book Sacred Fire ( Finishing Line Press.)
Between now and the end of the month, Brenda Kay Ledford’s poems will be featured for your enjoyment. Comments will be appreciated.
Shew Bird Mountain
Loopin through an arch
of flaming poplars, burning maples
and golden rods,
sacred fire
drawing me to my Native land
where Cherokee hunted
game with bows and arrows,
danced around campfires
and chanted to the Upper World.
Buzzard swooped through valleys
forming the Shew Bird Mountain:
embers
caught on virgin forest.
Brenda Kay Ledford
from Shew Bird Mountain
Finishing Line Press
Legacy
The thead runs
from an Appalachian home
famed by golden poplars.
The thread loops
through Matheson Cove,
climbs Shew Bird Mountain
riding the wind with mountain laurel.
Whipperwills ricochet in the holler,
Hyatt Mill Crek whispers my name.
The thread zig zags
through the corn patch
Grandaggy Bob plowed with mules.
The thread dashes
milk Ma Minnie churned
into butter golden as sunflowers.
The thread plucks fruit
from trees bowing to the ground
and fries peach pies.
The thread gallops
through generations selecting genes,
stitchng them together
thread by thread
like Mama piecing
a Lone Star Quilt.
Brenda Kay Ledford
from Shew Bird Mountain
Finighing Line Press
4 comments:
Congratulations Brenda Kaye. I always enjoy your poetry. The only way it could be better is if you were reading it to us in person.
Sam
Congratulations,Brenda Kay. i really like ShewBird Mountain.
Visit my new blog, http://glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com/ when you have a minute.
Congratulations! This is much deserved. As always I am a little in awe at the ease with which you write.
Nancy, I have always liked the wholesome quality of Brenda's work.
I enjoyed reading her poems on your blog. Glenda Barrett
Post a Comment