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Rebecca Cook's avatar

So lovely. I am less familiar with Esther, than the earlier stories of Genesis and Exodus. I swear I think I always got so bored after the Hebrew children escaped from Egypt that I nagged my mother to start the bible story book over!

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Rosa Lía Gilbert's avatar

These just keep getting better. I’m named after a flower, so naturally I am partial to her original name. And can understand why she’d want to return to it.

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Tania Runyan's avatar

I love flower names! Thank you so much for your kind words, Rosa!

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Katie Andraski's avatar

Love this. So beautiful.

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Mark Rico's avatar

Bravo! Such an insightful and personal telling. Your craft is evident, but you've skillfully concealed its tracks to allow prominence to her voice.

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Tania Runyan's avatar

Thank you so much, Mark!

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Abigail's avatar

You inhabit her voice so easily that I believe it. Just beautiful.

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Tania Runyan's avatar

Thank you so much, Abigail!

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Melanie Bettinelli's avatar

The myrtle/star imagery is a lovely thread tying the poem and her life together into a whole.

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Tania Runyan's avatar

I love how well biblical imagery works so naturally, even when it isn’t “trying”’

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Katy Bowser Hutson's avatar

I love it, so beautifully done. Do you work your way through the BCP lectionary? It had me in Esther this morning and man, it's a page-turner. This nails so much. Thank you.

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Tania Runyan's avatar

Thank you so much, Katy! I don’t work through the lectionary, but that’s a great idea!

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Katy Bowser Hutson's avatar

It’s pretty new to me, doing it regularly. Today I figured Jesus wouldn’t mind if I binged Esther. Again: so poignant, Tania. I feel like the things that are written make so many of the unwritten things clear but it takes a poet to call it out. I love what you see.

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Tania Runyan's avatar

<blushing>

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