Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Read the latest from my poetry blog, “A Hundred Falling Veils“, where there’s a poem in every day. You can use this link to subscribe.
A Hundred Falling Veils
- In the Bleak Midwinter December 4, 2025In the midst of cold,past the fringes of darkness,is this place of firewhere we huddleat the edge of warmthto relieve our chilland regard each other’s facesin the glow,where we learn storiesof the shadowsand meet our owndarkness.Loneliness is, perhaps,believing there is no roomfor us in the circle.Belonging is knowingevery one of usis the flame.Rosemerry
- The Talisman December 3, 2025It wasn’t the time he taught me to ridewithout training wheels. Wasn’t fishingon the lake for crappies or huntingin the Wisconsin woods for squirrels.Wasn’t the cassette tapes he made mewhen I moved away from home or the rare tearshe cried when I left. It wasn’t the wayhe forgave me when I forgot to callon his […]Rosemerry
- Walking at Night after the First Big Snow December 2, 2025I want to livemy life likea night madebright bymoonlightand snow—there isnothing I canhold onto,nothing I caneven touch, butthere is nodoubt how realthe light is,no denying howthat farawaylight reflectsto hold me.Rosemerry
- When Memories Come Back December 1, 2025I love when people share memories of youI have forgotten. Like when your big sisterremembered the time we visited your aunt’snew home, and you, six years old and unstoppable,were entranced by the decorative glitter gluedto her walls, and while the rest of us were nearbymaking food, you stood there in the hallwayand picked at the […]Rosemerry
- And in the End, What Does A Life Add Up To? November 30, 2025title inspired by Jen Soong’s poem of the same name Two thousand eleven. That’s what it all adds up towhen we add my great nephew’s birth year with his olderbrother’s birth year, plus my daughter’s birth year,plus my own. Two thousand eleven. This numberrelates to my daughter’s ease in the world andmy great nephew’s joy […]Rosemerry
- Too Late? November 29, 2025By the time we arrive at the cliffsideto watch the sunset, the darknesshas already come. But becauseof the ink-ish sky, we see thousandsof yellow lights glitter across the harbor.And moonlight on the water makesthe blackened surface shine. How oftendo I think I’m too late, only to find I havearrived at just the right moment,the moment […]Rosemerry
- After November 28, 2025After the leftovers have been spoonedinto storage containers and the forksare all snuggled back in their drawers,when the few who are left are sprawledon the couch or curled on the floor,and we’re sleepy-eyed and satedand telling stories and laughingat ourselves, this is my favorite partof the day, when all of the fixing is doneand we […]Rosemerry
- Such Gratefulness November 27, 2025I messed up. Big.It was, you can imagine,embarrassing.My daughter put her headon my shoulder,her body warm, hertouch soft.It’s okay, mom, she said,her voice gentle and small.Everyone messes up.She slipped her handinto mine. For a long timewe sat that way.What was big becamesmall. What was smallbecame great.In one humble moment,the vast arc of love.I felt myself […]Rosemerry
- Walking Down 37th Ave in Queens November 26, 2025Sam teaches me how tonot look like a tourist.Never look up, he says.Don’t look back or around.Don’t pause; keep moving.Even if you don’t knowwhere you’re going.This is when I knowtwo things: One: I love Sam.How cool he is. The bullet trainefficiency of his attention.How he loves me enoughto want to help me be cool.Two: I […]Rosemerry
- Ginkgo in Downtown New York November 25, 2025They live a thousand years.This, alone, is enough toinvite admiration. Robust.Unfussy. They survive drought,disease, pollution, pests.They thrive in the midst of sirensand car fumes, gridlocks andgarbage cans, concrete and horns. And all across the city today,a golden fluttering, a radiant tremblingon even the darkest streets. As ifto endure is not enough. As if we arealso here […]Rosemerry