Elana Bell
Ruins
As a child I loved to be found
I slipped into the alley behind my house
My mother called and called
and I did not answer
until I heard the net in her voice
The ruins are invisible from the shore
but once you arrive you’ve always known
The stones are silent
I take a photograph to remember
Across the island olives fall from the tree
My window opens to the sea.
Elana Bell’s first collection of poetry, Eyes, Stones, received the Walt Whitman award from the Academy of American poets. Her second book of poems, Mother Country, is forthcoming from BOA Editions in 2020. Elana currently teaches poetry to first year acting students at the Juilliard School, and sings with the Resistance Revival Chorus, a group of women activists and musicians committed to bringing joy and song to the resistance movement. To find out more, visit: www.elanabell.com.