Synkroniciti is excited to welcome back poet and writer Mary Pacifico Curtis with two contrasting poems. The first, “Another Day of Infamy,” is an acerbic indictment of the late Todd Akin, a former US Congressman from Missouri who sank his bid for office against Claire McCaskill in 2012, which he probably would have won otherwise, by making some egregious and unintelligent comments about rape and the female body. His comments, shocking as they are, are nothing new, reflecting attitudes that could be centuries old. The second, “Seekers Poem,” is a lament for indigenous life as Mary observes a tribe caring for the remains of their ancestors, which have been unearthed and desecrated by modern development. Have we improved the dignity and wholesomeness of human life, or have we cheapened it by taking away the mystery and the empathy that makes it beautiful and bearable? How do we find balance? Mary doesn’t shy away from the hard questions and her words have deep resonance.
Read Mary’s visionary poetry in the “Empowered” Issue of our online magazine, available here. You can subscribe or order the issue, debuting today, September 1, 2022.
Mary Pacifico Curtis writes poetry, memoir and literary criticism and is an avid photographer. Her chapbooks, Between Rooms (2016) and The White Tree Quartet (2018), were both published by Wordtech’s Turning Point imprint. Her newest book is the memoir Understanding Moonseed (BlazeVOX).
Devoting time to creative writing fulfills a dream following her career as founder and CEO of a leading Silicon Valley PR and strategic communications firm. She is an American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal honoree for industry excellence and social responsibility. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and MFA from Goddard College.
Mary has two grown daughters and lives on a terraced hillside with her husband and two dogs where sightings of wild turkeys, deer, bobcats, coyotes and hawks are a daily inspiration.
Check out Mary’s website: https://marypacificocurtis.com/.
From Synkroniciti’s “Birds” issue (3:3), here is The Shepherd’s refrain: It Is Coming, dedicated to Greta Thunberg and recognizing the pivotal nature of our time.
