First Place Poetry - Marilyn Peretti

Marilyn Peretti's poem, Divestiture, speaks to the power of the labyrinth to lighten our mental loads.

Divestiture
by Marilyn Peretti

I walked a labyrinth yesterday,

half circles and whole circles

round and round on soft pea gravel,

paths lined by paving bricks.

My pulse slowed I’m sure

as I divested myself of all

that hangs about in my head,

pressing on my shoulders.

I know I will return, after this first

meditation in the shade of tall oaks,

clear blue leaking through the leaves,

to reach a holy center,

then reverse and leave the rings,

fresh thoughts replacing old,

continuing my journey

somewhat lighter.

Copyright 2006, Marilyn Peretti

Biography

Marilyn Peretti of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, mostly walks the wooded labyrinth at The Cenacle in nearby Warrenville. The grove of tall oaks is reflected in this poem. Her poetry has been published in Christian Science Monitor, Seeding the Snow, California Quarterly, Black Bear Review, Rockford Review, Prairie Light Review, www.poetrysky.com (translated to Chinese), www.seastories.org, anthologies, Beyond Katrina, The Dire Elegies and others. Recently she has specialized in poems and paintings about cranes with a published book, Let Wings Take You. This book is reviewed on her website.