Reading “Dead Stars” by Ada Limón

Poetry Lunch S1E2

Live reading by Myrna of “Dead Stars” by Ada Limón from The Carrying published by Milkweed Books.

This is take two of an informal weekly poetry reading I intend to do on Tuesdays around lunchtime, PST.

The series is inspired by the many incredible conversations I had with my gramma at our regular Tuesday lunches, when I would share proofs of what I was working on and she’d read them closely and critique them soundly and wander on speaking to personal connections and universal human feelings.

My gramma was a sweet tough old lady set in her ways, forceful in her love and beliefs and curiosity and enjoyment of simple good things. Poetry made a bridge for us across a couple generations and impossible political divides. A safe space where we could speak deeply and relate to our shared values. I’m still reeling from her loss and all the poems I never got to share thanks to covid and never will now that she’s gone, also thanks to covid. So thank you for being here to share them with instead. Or rather, for allowing me to continue.

Love,
Myrna

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Related print

Look, we are not unspectacular things.
We've come this far, survived this much. What

would happen if we decided to survive more? To love harder?

Ada Limón

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This is the print I made from the poem I shared above.
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Another line in the poem that caught me cold when reading this time around was "I am a hearth of spiders these days: a nest of trying." Oh nests, oh trying, oh spiders! Gave me the shivers and a fresh feeling of recognition. Did any lines stick in your head or your heart?⁠
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Links to purchase

Get the book here: The Carrying and the print here: Love Harder.