Welcome to the March 2018 edition of Blue Heron Speaks. Blue Heron Review is thrilled to share the poetry of author Rosalie Sanara Petrouske (What We Keep, Finishing Line Press, 2016). These are sumptuous, life-affirming poems with imagery so vivid, that the senses are infused with every drop of juice from an orange slice and the pure joy of touching a red bowl. We live inside the experiences of each poem, “—tongue to snow, to rain, / to the curves of a lover’s back, and essences to inhale.” After reading these poems, I hope that you will take Rosalie’s advice in the poem, “My Daughter Learns,” when she writes, “Yes, daughter, take great gulps of the world.” We should all be so lucky to witness each day—each experience—with a sense of wonder and reverence. To live life with the wholeness of the self should be our endeavor. In her poems, Petrouske takes us on journeys both grand and small and makes each one momentous.

Please visit the Blue Heron Speaks Featured Author page of our site to read 4 sample poems by Rosalie Sanara Petrouske, and to learn more about her work.

Rosalie Sanara Petrouske believes that “poetry saved her.” When she was sixteen years old, she lost her father, who spent many hours walking through the woods with her, teaching her about the natural world. She began writing about her loss and the improbability of life mingled with images of sky, forest, and the big lakes, Michigan and Superior, where she has lived on both shores during different seasons. Since then, her publications include Passages North, the Southern Poetry Review, Red Rock Review, American Nature Writing, Lunch Ticket, and numerous others. In 2015, the Michigan Poet featured her poem, “New Year’s Day,” in a broadside. She has two poetry chapbooks, the most recent, What We Keep, from Finishing Line Press in 2016. You can find out more about Rosalie’s work on her Facebook author page. She also has a writers’ group page and an Amazon author page. A video of her poem, “Before Leaving,” is available to watch on YouTube.

What We Keep (Finishing Line Press, 2016)