Wind in the Pines

she sought wisdom in the pines
when her mother took her there
and her aunties sang the old songs
her cousins stripped the kindling
her uncles kept the fire in the breeze

she found comfort in the needles
combed her hair in the wind
warm tea in a cup beside her
drums steady in the distance
her dreams whispered in the trees

she matured in the north woods
and made her home among the pines
land and water provided food
her companions four-legged shared
warmth from the wind in the pines

Mona Mehas (she/her) writes poetry and prose from the perspective of a retired disabled teacher in Indiana USA. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work has appeared in over 70 journals, anthologies, and online museums. Her poetry chapbooks, Questions I Didn’t Know I’d Asked and Hand-Me-Downs were published by LJMcD Communications in 2024 and available from their website and Amazon. Two of Mona’s poems received first place honors in the 2023 Poetry Society of Indiana Fall contest. She is writing her second novel while querying the first. Tweets @Patienc77732097