Quadriptych of Loss
Michele Mekel
I. Estranged
The world reopens.
Uninvited, I watch from the window.
Love blooms on the other side of glass.
II. Hollow
My hands, head, heart were
emptied—but just not in that
specific order.
III. Specters
Ghosts in the garden
—tears unwept, words unspoken—
haunted my stone heart.
VI. Colors of You
Don’t worry, my love.
I’ll write your poem
with marking pens
in rainbow hues.
Living in Happy Valley, Michele Mekel wears many hats: writer, editor, educator, bioethicist, poetess, cat herder, witch, and woman. With more than 150 published poems, her work has appeared in various academic and creative publications, including being featured on Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac and nominated for Best of the Net. Her poetry has also been translated into Cherokee. She served as co-principal investigator for the Viral Imaginations:
COVID-19 project (viralimaginations.psu.edu).