Ellen Bass’s most recent collection, Indigo, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2020. Her other poetry books include Like a Beggar, The Human Line, and Mules of Love. A Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets, Bass founded poetry workshops at Salinas Valley State Prison and the Santa Cruz, California, jails and teaches in the MFA writing program at Pacific University.
Ellen Bass
Poetry
River
The McKenzie River’s half in shade, half molten silver and today, in the shallow water, a single salmon, has made it back to where she began, her scintillant body that moves Continue reading
Poem
Ever-Changing Song
First a spout bursting through all that blue with the sun clanging on it, then a slope, wheeling, almost slowly, through the blue air, and four times— or maybe five—I see Continue reading
Poetry
Roses
Four roses drinking from a blue vase, the first one I name Moment of Gladness, the second, Wresting Beauty from Fear. All year I watched my beloved disappearing, the sweet fat Continue reading
Poetry
Bringing Flowers to Soledad
It wasn’t when Mr. M saw the little meadow blooming on the brown metal table. I’ll have such a short time with these, he said, as I pushed a paper cup Continue reading