for Stella Crosby Lee 1885-1955;
after reading "Stella's Journey" by John B. Lee
From celestial bodies illuminating
the darkness of the night
she drew her name,
Stella,
a star plucked from the heavens
to light the path of others.
Born under the sign of Gemini, the Twins,
she embraced strength in duality
from deities who walked another world,
from the earth that now rendered her life.
Born and wed in the month of June
she garnered beatitudes of the mother-god Juno
spirit
committment
resilience
family
these graces embodied and sustained her life.
As Juno's heavenly position changes,
so too, her life would alter
mold and conform;
quiet strength nurtured others,
thrived on their successes.
In silence her life passed all too quickly
the earthly light extinguished and the star
returned among the heavenly bodies
to illuminate the darkness of other nights.
From Butterfly Dreams (Serengeti Press 2003)