Lesbian poet honors ‘backward miracles’

Kay Ryan, the lesbian poet who is now serving as U.S. poet laureate, offers a refreshing poem suitable for reflection as Easter approaches. In “Backward Miracle,” Ryan breathes new life into Christian themes, starting with the cup of wine shared by Jesus at the Last Supper. She also revisits the multiplication of bread and fishes, the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. The poem appears in her book “The Niagara River: Poems)” and is reprinted below. Ryan, who lives in Marin County, California, was appointed poet laureate by the Library of Congress last fall. The official announcement notes her status as a lesbian simply by stating, “Her partner of 30 years is Carol Adair.” Take a moment to savor Ryan’s poem:

Backward Miracle By Kay Ryan (from The Niagara River: Poems) Every once in a while we need a backward miracle that will strip language, make it hold for a minute: just the vessel with the wine in it — a sacramental refusal to multiply, reclaiming the single loaf and the single fish thereby.

*** A warmly insightful video portrait of Ryan is presented in the video from the American Academy of Poets. In the video, Ryan reads and discusses her poetry -- including an excerpt that was reprinted in the popular cartoon Boondocks. To watch it, click here or on the image above. For more info on Kay Ryan, click on the following links: Official announcement: Librarian of Congress Appoints Kay Ryan Poet Laureate New York Times article: Kay Ryan, Outsider With Sly Style, Named Poet Laureate