For the Grandmother I Knew Well

You taught me words
are like bouquets of sunflowers
tender petals pronouncing connection
like the handwritten poems
you once composed on Gustav Klimt notecards
for our birthdays.

Each message fine-tuned
expertly sewn together
like a tailor
nourishing sentiments
you did not hear as a child.

I was your apprentice
reciting your poems at literary evenings
the youngest in attendance.
You coached me
to summon radiance with each syllable
to bloom for every performance.

You cautioned me:
ostracism accompanies artistry for women
but pay no heed!
Embrace your feral leopard
like the black and gold print dresses you wore
choose authenticity
laugh uproariously
live as a daughter of duende.

My name, Vera
is a gift from you
your Baptismal name
selected by your village priest.

It means faith –
flash of spark emitting
a lovely light.

Vera Sirota is the author of the chapbook We Bow To No One published by Bottlecap Press in 2023. We Bow To No One was the 2024 Chapbook Winner of the Eric Hoffer Award and earned a First Horizon Award for superior work by debut authors. Vera is the proud granddaughter of Ukrainian immigrants.