Irene

Gave birth
in a bomb shelter
in World War II
after the sirens sounded;
ran a hostel in London
after her husband died;
played Scrabble each week
with her grandson
after his mother left his dad;
welcomed us all
with a cheerful kindness
that turned tuna sandwiches
into a feast;
only let sadness
slip to the surface once
when she told us
how she visited an old friend
for the last time;
the sort of woman
on whose shoulders
you could build an empire.

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Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but has lived in Pittsburgh for thirty years. She is a Grand Master of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, and three-time winner of both the AnLab Readers' Award and the Rhysling Award. Her latest poetry book, "How to Navigate Our Universe," answers vexing questions such as "How to Surprise Saturn" and "How to Survive a Black Hole." She hides her online presence with a cryptically named website (marysoonlee.com and an equally cryptic Twitter account (@MarySoonLee).