Pripyat

The river ran along

radioactive
purple bog irises

summer cicadas
Chernobyl sparrows

encased sarcophagus

oh my beloved village
summer wind

forests, pine woods

where are you going?
stone road
in a dead zone

nameless
ordered to silence

How can you forget this?
Irina Grigorovna

clinging to your irradiated, dying husband

Photo Credit

Photo from Wikipedia Commons by Antanana

Guest Author Bio

Ilona Martonfi
Ilona Martonfi lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Author of two poetry books, Blue Poppy, (Coracle Press, 2009.) Black Grass, (Broken Rules Press 2012). Two chapbooks, Visiting the Ridge (Coracle Press, 2004), Charivari, (Coracle Press, 2013). Forthcoming, Saudade, (Broken Rules Press). Work appears in Canadian Woman Studies, carte blanche, Vallum, Accenti, The Fiddlehead, Serai, and various other journals. Founder and producer of The Yellow Door and Visual Arts Centre Readings, co-founder of Lovers & Others. QWF 2010 Community Award.

Blog / Website: Facebook

Recent Guest Author Articles:

• Empowered to Advocate: How to Become the Voice for the Silent
• How to Build a Celebration-Ready Wine Cellar
• Wander, Discover, Reflect: My Most Surprising Finds in Las Vegas
• Creating Meaningful Connections: What Ecosystems and Families Teach Us About Belonging
• How Breathwork Creates a Pathway Through Trauma: Beyond Traditional Approaches