When the Blue Heron Flies: Prayer-Poems to Nourish the Spirit

Sr. Melannie is a noticer. She was probably born with n.b. tattooed on her heart: nota bene, note well. In this book she ponders the tilt of the earth, skunks and blue herons, her mother s yellow jacket, biblical figures like Bartimaeus, Habakkuk, and the Magi, the experiences of homesickness and perfectionism, the nature of grief and space. Along with this noticing is a deep love for words. Indeed, Sr. Melannie identifies herself as a Wooer of Words. She has that graced obsession of translating experiences and feelings into images and concepts lest the experiences are forever forgotten.

Each poetic expression here is followed by a brief reflection, some suggested Scripture passages, and questions that hopefully lead to prayer and play. An index of Scripture references, topics, and themes also make this book very user friendly.

Sr. Melannie hopes to pique your curiosity, slow you down, and reaffirm for you the mystery and beauty of daily life with its light and shadows, joys and sorrows, perplexities and understandings. She also hopes these prayer/poems will nudge you to prayer.