Christine E. Ray's Blog
February 13, 2025
Indie Blu(e) Publishing Releases More Animal Than Human by Mary A. Rogers
“Transfixed by Mary’s unbridled words, I found myself catching my breath as the poems opened me to long forgotten memories. Mary’s poetry evokes the wilderness, the flight of Baba Yaga, and raw, human emotions; relatable, honest words that scrape the underworld of the soul. This is a collection you can return to over and over, poems for months like September, November, and any day where you long to dip into the mystic. I have long loved the integrity of Mary’s word witchery – it excavates the things many have struggled with and risen from.”
—Monika Carless, Transforming the Mother Wound and The Dark Pool Trilogy
“In her debut collection, More Animal Than Human, Mary A. Rogers has crafted a spell to heal a lifetime of anguish and abandonment, through the incantations of her poetry. These poems are accessible, open to all who journey on a path to spiritual reclamation, building a fire around the ever-blooming soul. She writes, “that night i slept/ in the belly of a whale/ i touched the edge/ of infinity/ i wept as i beheld/ the ineffable beauty/ flesh, tears, heartbeat/ soul salt and bone/holy whore, made mother/ fallen angel, turned crone.” This wolf-song book of wild reckoning swerves from the darkness of grief, to a respite in the quiet forest of trees, to a phoenix goddess becoming whole. “i watched her transform. her eyes lit with desire and feather by feather— she grew wings and caught fire.” From the ashes, Mary’s words light the way back to herself.”
–Kai Coggin, author of Mother of Other Kingdoms and Mining for Stardust
“Ever the healer and the mystic, Mary has brought her true spirit to these pages. The verses of each rhythmic compilation showcase just how she feels the natural forces working within her. Much like the great balladeers of the wild world, Mary has created a collection of poetic anthems that speak volumes about her sensitivities and emotions within life itself. Such an excellent masterpiece that needs to be celebrated!”
–Gerry Ellen, A Big Piece of Driftwood
i’m thinking of wide-open spaces
of choice, acceptance, and grief
how often my thoughts go concave
reaching deep into the darkness
for stillness, comfort, and release
and how forest, wild, and ocean
moss, moon, and stars
have the power to resuscitate my soul
i’m thinking of all the little things
how they add up to become all the things
the everything’s
and how it’s not always something
that can be pointed to and named
i’m thinking of the love affair
between the sun and moon
twilight, sunrise, and eclipse
the moment when two
suddenly become one
i’m thinking of moonlit vistas
and ancient prophecies
about rock and wave
and how i come alive
like a horse unbridled— untamed
mounting the sea and riding the tide
i’m thinking of hope, want, and desire
feelings and feral need
birds and ancestral whispers
hushed poetry dancing through the trees
and what it is to have a heart
beating through ribs of cage
of wings and flight, life and death
and everything in-between.
‘The In-Between’ From More Animal Than Human
To purchase More Animal Than Human, click here.
Publication Date: February 11, 2025
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-951724-26-9 eBook ISBN: 978-1-951724-27-6
Mary A. Rogers is a Certified Life Coach, Herbalist, Ordained Minister, Mystic, Reiki Master, and Writer. The founder of Woods and Wander, she is a widely published author and a regular columnist at Medium & Vocal.
A verified Native (Apsáalooke/Crow) and Korean (her father was born in Seoul), her walk in this life is very close to the land and all that inhabits the wild- often more animal than human.
May 14, 2024
Slow Burn
I am fighting to resist
strong impulse
to step off high road
dip bare feet boldly
into waters of righteous indignation
my devils whisper vengeance
seductively into bleeding ears
egg on palms that itch
to slap cheeks
that spew false smiles,
revisionist history
shrill voice that
fills the vacuum left by my
dignified— but deeply unsatisfying—
silence
I long to crush fingers
plucking at my dignity
my integrity
along with my unblinking eyes
that offend by refusing to
unsee the betrayal
were the thirty pieces of silver
worth it? I wonder
I watch the vultures continuing
to feast on the bones
they keep their heads lowered
refusing to meet my gaze
I thought you knew me better
echoing in my head
© 2024 Christine E. Ray – All Rights Reserved
Photo by Basil James on Unsplash
May 12, 2024
Mother’s Day
bittersweet
symphonies
echo
for this
motherless child
it has been
almost two decades
but fingers still itch
to pick up
old-fashioned receiver
on Sundays
punch in your number
tell you about the 90’s
Elijah earned on spring finals
hear you laugh that Al
is indeed my karma
roll your eyes
across the miles
at my latest tattoo
we were puzzles
to each other
mismatched pieces
that often
rubbed and chafed
I was never
soft cardboard
was I?
lasered steel perhaps
sharp around the edges
your mysteries
still reveal themselves
from time to time
causing the kaleidoscope
picture I carry
to abruptly spin
rearranging the
colored shards
of myth
and memory
as your fractalled image
shifts into something
new
an unfinished narrative
for me to ponder
© 2018 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All Rights Reserved
