In winter,
the trees appear
as naked ladies,
standing proudly
in the woods,
arms stretched
to the sky,
reaching for
the stars
with thin
frostbitten
fingers.
Mary Ellen Shaughan is a native Iowan who now lives in Western Massachusetts. Her poetry has appeared in Peregrine, Foliate Oak, Long Story Short, Iowa Writes, A&U: America’s AIDS Magazine, Aleola, and 2River View.
A Quiet Courage 