This Cathedral
Isle Royale National Park, 2017
where the waves shush agates,
where ungulates clip moss,
where falcons smirk from lichen
tendrils on lighthouse nests,
where grebes skim the surface—
race the evening glass of lake—
this you know as consistent
church: hymn of truth & willowing
hum, the kind you hold full
of breath, of heart, this message
you cup as you bow in prayer.
Recording of This Cathedral by Michelle Menting
Michelle Menting grew up along the woods and waters of northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan and earned her MFA at NMU. Her writing appears in many magazines and journals, and she has received awards and honors for her written work from Sewanee, Bread Loaf, and the National Park Service, where she served as artist-in-residence on Isle Royale National Park in 2017 and will return in 2022. She is the author of Leaves Surface Like Skin (Terrapin Books), and teaches at the University of Southern Maine. More information can be found at michellementing.com.
Artwork By Christopher Schmidt
The Poet Laureate of Michigan's Upper Peninsula 