Two Miriams

At a joyful reception
in the metropolis
a hall of light and splendor

two persons spoke
separated by a generation
and a historical divide.

Still the conversation
flowed friendly and lively
between them both.

Coincidence? A common
name called out
across the decades.

Her name the same
as that of his sister
who died in the Holocaust.

Freely flowed the tears
like a cloudburst. His
tears shed long ago

Arthur Turfa has lived in the Midlands since 2004. His poetry reflects his current home, but also his native Pennsylvania and other places (especially Germany) where he has lived or traveled. His careers as a Lutheran pastor, teacher on secondary and post-secondary levels, and as an Army chaplain have given him a wealth of material.  Saluda Reflections, Finishing Line Press 2017, is the most recent of his four poetry books. Currently he is working on a novel, set in the Southeastern US, and more poems.