Secret Alphabets

Poet's Note: "This is a collection of poems written over a decade, between the ages of 17 and 27. In that time I grew from a girl into a woman, battled my body in a fierce and bloody war, switched careers, moved homes, took lovers, faced enemies, and made friends. I had conversations with trees and let the Earth teach me new cycles. New things attached themselves to me and other, older things fell away. I met myself in the midst of recording a secret alphabet, a personal means of decoding a universal language. I invite you to uncover your own secret alphabet and traverse this tongue with me."

Sarah Ruth Penna enjoys writing as a creative process that feels intuitive and free. She is a monthly contributor to the website Hey Young Writer, works as the Outdoor Experience Manager at Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and is the owner of a small business, Hyacinth House Arts & Wellness. She synergizes her love of Nature, Art, and Community in all corners of her life. In her free time, she enjoys photography, making collages, singing, and spending time outside. Her poetry is deeply influenced by the New England Transcendentalists, Mary Oliver, levi the poet, mythology, nature, chronic illness, and her Italian American heritage. She lives in a house built by her beloved grandfather, overlooking Cedar Lake in Sturbridge, MA.