Songbirds

Songbirds, recently released by Newman Springs Publishing, was originally written 25 years ago during a period of unemployment that led the author, RoseAnna Lucarelli, back to teaching and, left her little time to write. RoseAnna approached Ms. Gwendolyn Davis, Senior Librarian, 96th Street Branch of the New York Public Library and asked for a critique of her manuscript humbly bound at Staples, written on a laptop purchased at a thrift store. Mrs. Davis, acknowledged posthumously, took the time from her busy schedule coordinating poetry events, to read the original manuscript and, unequivocally encouraged her to read aloud at Barnes & Noble and the NYPL. She did – to welcoming audiences! During that period, the East Side Rapist terrorized the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and RoseAnna started Rose Petals, a fictionalized screenplay about a woman, stalked and attacked by a rapist who terrorized the Upper East Side; the protagonist struggles with forgiveness - a theme that has haunted the author. Forgiveness; Love: Familial, Pets, Nature; Kindness; Time, Life, Death; and a cast of characters, beguiling and dastardly, are themes the author has explored, hoping, like Emily Dickinson, that she has written for people who do not read poetry.

An article published in the Chestnut Hill Local, by Len Lear, Features Editor, “Expecting rejection but accepted by first publisher!”; tributes to her parents, Italian heritage; a story about her heroine dog; and photographs are included in the volume whose cover was designed by the author.

Within one month of its release, Songbirds has been accepted for inclusion in the collections of the Philadelphia Free Library, PA; Warminster Public Library, PA; Doylestown Public Library, PA; Lambertville Public Library, Lambertville, NJ; and Montserrat College of Art, MA.

Wind Songs

Wind songs echo

In a room called home

Opening and closing

Yesterday's door

Until I beg them

To sing no more

Chanting to a burning hearth

Flirting with each flickering flame

Still asking me to praise your name

Timeless fires burning long

Kissed to life by warm wind songs

Force me to remember

I am alone with the embers

by RoseAnna Lucarelli

In stores now!