Arked

by Dr. Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

In this luminous collection, award-winning poet Elisabeth Sharp McKetta explores the tender ferocity of motherhood through poems constellated by dirt, myths, beasts, and the beautiful fragility of family life. From spiders that resurrect in washing machines to children who smell perpetually of rising bread, McKetta weaves together intimate domestic moments with mythic undertones—examining fairy tale beasts, pandemic isolation, and the delicate negotiations between safety and wildness. Her verses pulse with vivid imagery: lobster shells shed like heavy enchantments, geese arguing above school entrances, and families huddled together like passengers on Noah's vessel. With language that moves seamlessly from conversational intimacy to startling metaphor, Arked captures the profound beauty and uncertainty of raising young lives in an unpredictable world. These poems navigate the stories we tell our children and the truths we carry ourselves, finding extraordinary meaning in ordinary moments where nightmares give way to comfort, where growth requires both nurturing and letting go. McKetta's unflinching yet tender voice confirms her as a vital presence in contemporary poetry, offering readers a meditation on how we protect what we love while teaching it to fly.