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A Thousand Vessels: Poems
Taking up the personas of Eve, Sarah, Dinah, Mary, Martha and five other women from the Bible, Tania Runyan offers a stunning collection of poems in which the ancient and modern worlds collide. A Thousand Vessels reveals the common and complex experiences of women across the ages—loneliness, friendship, fear, hope, violence, love, bitterness, consolation. Fellow poet Jeanne Murray Walker says, "The two [worlds] are so wonderfully imagined and entwined that I found myself turning the pages of A Thousand Vessels as compulsively as if it were fiction."
88 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2011
About the author
Tania Runyan
16 books44 followersTania Runyan is the author of several poetry collections, including What Will Soon Take Place, Second Sky, and A Thousand Vessels. Her first book-length creative nonfiction title, Making Peace With Paradise: An Autobiography of a California Girl, was released in 2022. Tania’s instructional guides, How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and How to Write a Form Poem, are used in classrooms across the country, and her poems have appeared in publications such as Poetry, Image, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and The Christian Century. Tania was awarded an NEA Literature Fellowship in 2011. She lives with her family in Illinois, where she teaches sixth grade language arts.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 26, 2012
In A Thousand Vessels, Tania Runyan brings the women of the Bible to life with her poetry. She weaves their stories and struggles into the fabric of the contemporary lives of women today.' Revealing heartache that has echoed throughout the ages, it still resonates in the hearts and souls of women today.
Each section of this beautiful book is titled with the name of a Biblical woman. The poems are written about that woman, some in her own voice. From Eve the first woman, to Mary Magdalene, thought to be the lowliest woman; they are here. In their sorrows and trials, their poems are written with an urgency and importance.
Tania Runyan writes with intelligence and sincere emotion, both essential in poetry. She writes from the heart and soul. Life resounds in every poem, each with trials and tribulations, but also with faith, love and hope.
Each section of this beautiful book is titled with the name of a Biblical woman. The poems are written about that woman, some in her own voice. From Eve the first woman, to Mary Magdalene, thought to be the lowliest woman; they are here. In their sorrows and trials, their poems are written with an urgency and importance.
Tania Runyan writes with intelligence and sincere emotion, both essential in poetry. She writes from the heart and soul. Life resounds in every poem, each with trials and tribulations, but also with faith, love and hope.
August 17, 2017
Runyan walks us through a modern-day midrash of sorts -- only her interpretations of different women in scripture take the form of beautiful poems. So many stunning lines. In true rabbinic fashion, she pulls from different angles, reconsidering, reimagining, humanizing. A quick taste:
from Ruth Speaks to Naomi:
"We are widows now, the shriveled leaves
that blow along the rooftops.
We are worth nothing
but the measure of loneliness
we can remove from each other."
from The Birth of Cain (Eve):
"But one morning I broke
like a thundercloud in a field.
A lion tore through my body,
and the lion caught fire.
Everything I was -- forests,
mountains, Adam -- everything
I had ever thought or spoken
melted in the rhythmic flames.
How could I move again
to gather fruit and stones?
How could I become the mother
of the living, when the Lord
was unmaking me, burning me
back to a bone?"
from Mary at Calvary:
"If I dug into this cracked earth,
I would find the piled bones of women
who lost husbands in battle
and children at birth,
who breathed out their last days
with darkness on their backs,
no commandments, visions or thrones.
Grief will be my legacy, too,
until I am forgotten. Like these lizards
scurrying over the tomb's stone.
The last star sinking into the night."
from Ruth Speaks to Naomi:
"We are widows now, the shriveled leaves
that blow along the rooftops.
We are worth nothing
but the measure of loneliness
we can remove from each other."
from The Birth of Cain (Eve):
"But one morning I broke
like a thundercloud in a field.
A lion tore through my body,
and the lion caught fire.
Everything I was -- forests,
mountains, Adam -- everything
I had ever thought or spoken
melted in the rhythmic flames.
How could I move again
to gather fruit and stones?
How could I become the mother
of the living, when the Lord
was unmaking me, burning me
back to a bone?"
from Mary at Calvary:
"If I dug into this cracked earth,
I would find the piled bones of women
who lost husbands in battle
and children at birth,
who breathed out their last days
with darkness on their backs,
no commandments, visions or thrones.
Grief will be my legacy, too,
until I am forgotten. Like these lizards
scurrying over the tomb's stone.
The last star sinking into the night."
December 20, 2012
Tania Runyan groups her poems into sections named for women in the Bible. Some poems are about her own life and some about people who aren't in the bible, but they are bridged and held together by the names of Eve, Sarah, Ruth, Ester, Mary, Mary Magdalene.... The poems were pretty unpretentious and not very dense. They were easy to understand, and I liked the biblical theme.
September 30, 2017
Brilliant poetry blending the modern and ancient worlds
March 26, 2014
When asked to describe her poetry, Runyan replies, “…spiritual reflection. For the past few years, I have focused almost all my poetry on scripture, either directly or indirectly” (2010 blog interview no longer online). In A Thousand Vessels Tania Runyan writes about ten Bible women: Eve, Sarah, Dinah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, the woman at the well, Martha, Jairus’ daughter, and Mary Magdalene.
Reflection works well for Runyan as she muses about these spiritual matriarchs. She says of the themes and subjects she covers: “I explore the experiences of marriage, love, and birth, especially with women like Ruth and Mary. Faith and sacrifice with Sarah. Death and rebirth with Jairus’ daughter. The changing power of Christ with the woman at the well” (Examiner.com interview).
However, that reflection also takes her deeper and broader. For in the 46-poem collection are also pieces about modern Eves, Sarahs, Dinahs etc. In the Eve section, for example, is the poem “My Daughter’s Hands” in which Runyan delights in her toddler’s growing self-awareness, describes her attempts to grab the communion cup, and imagines her reaction to her mother’s “no”: “… yet I know the moment I say no / your world will begin to go wrong. / You will learn that most bright things / are never meant to be touched” (p. 14).
In Dinah’s section we have the poem “Child Sex Offenders” which reminds us how ordinary and unmarked are the predators who live among us. Esther’s section begins with “Beach Walk,” a poem that describes two bikini-clad teens imagining the effect they’re having on the lifeguard. Each Bible woman has her modern counterpart poems, bringing these spiritual mothers into our century as we recognize that we moderns face many of the same issues they did.
Runyan’s poems are easy to understand, interesting, relevant, and honest. Her vulnerability arouses our empathy and through her insights we gain a greater appreciation of not only Bible women but our friends, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, wives, and (if we’re women) ourselves.
Reflection works well for Runyan as she muses about these spiritual matriarchs. She says of the themes and subjects she covers: “I explore the experiences of marriage, love, and birth, especially with women like Ruth and Mary. Faith and sacrifice with Sarah. Death and rebirth with Jairus’ daughter. The changing power of Christ with the woman at the well” (Examiner.com interview).
However, that reflection also takes her deeper and broader. For in the 46-poem collection are also pieces about modern Eves, Sarahs, Dinahs etc. In the Eve section, for example, is the poem “My Daughter’s Hands” in which Runyan delights in her toddler’s growing self-awareness, describes her attempts to grab the communion cup, and imagines her reaction to her mother’s “no”: “… yet I know the moment I say no / your world will begin to go wrong. / You will learn that most bright things / are never meant to be touched” (p. 14).
In Dinah’s section we have the poem “Child Sex Offenders” which reminds us how ordinary and unmarked are the predators who live among us. Esther’s section begins with “Beach Walk,” a poem that describes two bikini-clad teens imagining the effect they’re having on the lifeguard. Each Bible woman has her modern counterpart poems, bringing these spiritual mothers into our century as we recognize that we moderns face many of the same issues they did.
Runyan’s poems are easy to understand, interesting, relevant, and honest. Her vulnerability arouses our empathy and through her insights we gain a greater appreciation of not only Bible women but our friends, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, wives, and (if we’re women) ourselves.
September 11, 2016
My thoughts on the poems that struck a cord:
"Bamboo" appreciate the metaphor of a plant being like a budding relationship between a couple.
"The Dangerous Wife" beautiful imagery of the rich verses the poor and how an adorer looks to at their lover.
"Keeping my Daughter", though I don't have a daughter, this poem fits perfectly with my boyfriend's niece and her mother, and what the mother must be thinking as she watches her daughter grow up and explore the world, even at the young age of one.
"The Rape of Dinah" the tragedy of a man's mind after a rape and how he must posses the woman and make her love him thereafter.
"Dinah After the Revenge" beautiful thoughts on the death of man/woman and how we return to the dust of the earth.
"Beach Walk" the importance we put on our appearance towards the opposite sex to attract them, when they most likely look over/through us and don't notice.
"Esther's Banquet" the power one person can have over another, acting as God, at final judgement.
"For Such a Time as This" a profound poem about the events which could have happened, if you were there and had not been detained.
"Mary at the Nativity" the miracle of birth for a mother, expecting glorious deeds to come.
"Mary at Calvary" a nice progression of Mary's thoughts through Jesus' passion, death and resurrection.
"Martha and Mary" the thankless job of preparing for a guest and all the little touches they put in to making a house a home.
"Children of Near-Death" Runyan captured the feelings of the children in the three poems as their experience trauma in their life and live.
"Magdalene at the Crucifixion" the wish of the living to breathe life back into their loved ones.
"Bamboo" appreciate the metaphor of a plant being like a budding relationship between a couple.
"The Dangerous Wife" beautiful imagery of the rich verses the poor and how an adorer looks to at their lover.
"Keeping my Daughter", though I don't have a daughter, this poem fits perfectly with my boyfriend's niece and her mother, and what the mother must be thinking as she watches her daughter grow up and explore the world, even at the young age of one.
"The Rape of Dinah" the tragedy of a man's mind after a rape and how he must posses the woman and make her love him thereafter.
"Dinah After the Revenge" beautiful thoughts on the death of man/woman and how we return to the dust of the earth.
"Beach Walk" the importance we put on our appearance towards the opposite sex to attract them, when they most likely look over/through us and don't notice.
"Esther's Banquet" the power one person can have over another, acting as God, at final judgement.
"For Such a Time as This" a profound poem about the events which could have happened, if you were there and had not been detained.
"Mary at the Nativity" the miracle of birth for a mother, expecting glorious deeds to come.
"Mary at Calvary" a nice progression of Mary's thoughts through Jesus' passion, death and resurrection.
"Martha and Mary" the thankless job of preparing for a guest and all the little touches they put in to making a house a home.
"Children of Near-Death" Runyan captured the feelings of the children in the three poems as their experience trauma in their life and live.
"Magdalene at the Crucifixion" the wish of the living to breathe life back into their loved ones.
May 29, 2017
I'm so glad I went into this book blindly. The cover art looks like something I wouldn't conventionally pick up, and as a stern atheist, poems with biblical themes don't often peak my interest. But Runyan's collection transcends category. These poems offer new perspectives on well-known biblical encounters, adds depth to everyday modern concerns, and presents a whole new view on human emotion.
April 22, 2013
this is a gorgeous book. the theme that ties everything together is stories of women: the stories of women in the Bible, the voices of women now.
this is not 'devotional poetry', but both spiritual and earthy poetry.
this is not 'devotional poetry', but both spiritual and earthy poetry.
September 4, 2015
Moving. Beautiful. Spellbinding. Deep. Wonderful. Thoughtful. Unique. Visual. Engrossing. Engaging. Magical. Mine.
April 29, 2026
My gosh. I've loved Tania Runyan's poetry on her substack Poet Jesus for a while, and when she mentioned that she'd already published this poetry collection telling the stories of women in the Bible, I bought it without a second thought.
I wish I had words to describe Runyan's poetry. The best I can come up with: it's visual, visceral, rhythmic the way breathing is, utterly delectable, always arresting. One of the coolest parts about this particular collection is that for each biblical character (Eve, Sarah, Dinah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, the woman at the well, Martha, Jairus's daughter, Mary Magdalene) she includes poems that are both specific to that character's story as well as poems from her own life or the contemporary world that are relevant to that character's story thematically (such as "The Birth of Cain" and "My Daughter's Hands," respectively, for Eve).
[she] walked off,
holding a sudden sharpness in her side,
as if a star had dislodged
there and, turning and scraping
and shining its path,
settled into the bare sky of her body.
"Sarah Considers the Stars"
We are worth nothing
but the measure of loneliness
we can remove from each other.
"Ruth speaks to Naomi"
I wish I had words to describe Runyan's poetry. The best I can come up with: it's visual, visceral, rhythmic the way breathing is, utterly delectable, always arresting. One of the coolest parts about this particular collection is that for each biblical character (Eve, Sarah, Dinah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, the woman at the well, Martha, Jairus's daughter, Mary Magdalene) she includes poems that are both specific to that character's story as well as poems from her own life or the contemporary world that are relevant to that character's story thematically (such as "The Birth of Cain" and "My Daughter's Hands," respectively, for Eve).
[she] walked off,
holding a sudden sharpness in her side,
as if a star had dislodged
there and, turning and scraping
and shining its path,
settled into the bare sky of her body.
"Sarah Considers the Stars"
We are worth nothing
but the measure of loneliness
we can remove from each other.
"Ruth speaks to Naomi"
February 3, 2023
This book consists of poems dedicate to various women of the Bible. Many of them are reimagined or reinterpreted to fit modern times. There are many beautiful poems, several of my favorites under the sections The Woman at the Well and Martha. My absolute favorite poem here is called Keeping My Daughter.
Definitely a collection I would read again.
Some of the poems are a little lacking or forced, which is why I give it a 4.
Definitely a collection I would read again.
Some of the poems are a little lacking or forced, which is why I give it a 4.
June 25, 2026
This beautiful collection of poetry offers a series of poems reflecting the stories and lives of biblical women in both the Old and New Testaments intertwined with poems reflecting on contemporary life. The poems are thoughtful and reflective in retelling the stories, inviting readers deeper into the complicated narratives of biblical women. I will be returning to this collection again and again I am sure.
August 13, 2018
I enjoyed this collection very much, even as a former Christian turned atheist. I loved how she wove in stories about herself and they were placed so perfectly within the separate persons sections. She also brought up ideas and questions I’d had about these women of the Bible that don’t get talked about in church, along with some new perspectives that I’d never through about.
June 20, 2022
Excellent poems exploring the characters of Biblical women; the only complaint is that there wasn't more of it.
November 7, 2023
Challenging, measured, beautiful. Runyan resists temptations to indulge, maintaining respect for her subject. Really fun and enjoyable.
July 3, 2026
a decent collection! i really like how she interspersed more personal poems in with the biblical.
May 16, 2014
I come back to these poems again and again. Very rich works that mine the depths of stories about women of the Bible. That may sound like a trite subject to some, but Runyan breathes life into our contemporary relationships with them. Very, very relevant poetry.
May 11, 2014
I love what Tania Runyan has done. Some of these poems are just lovely. I mean, who else is doing this!? Who rule the world? Girls!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews