Thou anointest my cornbread with honey.
My sweet iced tea overflows.
Though there may be tough rows to hoe,
Goodness, grace, and mercy
shall stop by in all weathers of my life,
and I will rest and rock gently
on the Almighty’s screened-in porch forever.
American Southerner Christina E. Petrides started writing poetry on Jeju Island, South Korea, where she lived for 6.5 years. Her verse collection, On Unfirm Terrain (Kelsay Books, 2022), reflects her interest in the geographical context of culture and events. Her children’s books are Blueberry Man (2020), The Refrigerator Ghost (2022), Tea Cakes, Quilts, and Sonshine (2022), and Mr. Fisher's Whiskers (2024). She is the primary translator of Maria Shelyakhovskaya’s memoir, Being Grounded in Love (2023). Christina's current projects can be explored on her website: www.christinaepetrides.com