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"Poems for the Moment" is a series of short pieces -- poems by North Dakota poets that we invited to share poems reflecting the current moment -- some of them newly written, some poems they already had that were appropriate. Two Poet Laureates (Larry Woiwode of North Dakota and Debra Marquart of Iowa) are among the eleven poets who share their works. They are gathered together here.

[Scroll down for the text of the poems]

Scroll down for the text of the poem.

Text of the poem is below.

Larry Woiwode is North Dakota's Poet Laureate. From his celebrated novel "Beyond the Bedroom Wall" through his publication in top national literary magazines, his prose and poetry have continually drawn appreciation and awards.

Larry Woiwode (North Dakota's Poet Laureate) says : "Warren Sturlaugson's poetry is direct, uncluttered, infused with dimensional faith, and a full-bodied sense of humor and genial wit, along with graphic representations of North Dakotans' views on weather, the surrounding atmosphere and Dakotans' general state of mind". Warren is the author of two poetry collections, "Braiding Frayed Air" and "The Brightening Atmosphere", available at Amazon.com.

A fifth-generation North Dakotan, Shadd Piehl’s poetry has appeared in the anthologies, Between Earth and Sky: Contemporary Cowboy Poets, Maverick Western Verse, Brushstrokes and Balladeers, and the magazines Aluminum Canoe, Pemmican, Red Weather, and Dry Crik Review, among others. A private investigator and adjunct English instructor, Shadd lives along Crown Butte Creek in the Heart River valley west of Mandan with his family.

Text of the poem is below.

Bonnie Larson Staiger is a North Dakota Associate Poet Laureate and ND Humanities Scholar. She is a recipient of the ‘Poetry of the Plains and Prairies Prize form North Dakota State University Press for her debut chapbook, Destiny Manifested which also received the ‘Independent Press Award: Distinguished Favorite.’ She has recently received awards from Flying South Literary Magazine, The MacGuffin’s Best of the Year Anthology, was a finalist for the Julia Darling Poetry Prize and the Great Midwest Poetry Prize. Her second book, a full collection titled In Plains Sight is forthcoming from NDSU Press in 2021.

Scroll down for more about Carol Kapaun Ratchenski.

Madelyn Camrud has lived all but nine months of her life in North Dakota. She received degrees in visual arts and creative writing from The University of North Dakota. She taught in the English department before taking a position at the North Dakota Museum of Art, where she served as director of Audience Development. Camrud's poems have appeared in numerous journals, including Kalliope, Painted Bride Quarterly, Descant, and others. Two of her poems were chosen to air on Garrison Keillor's "Writers Almanac." In the spring of 2005, North Dakota Poet Laureate Larry Woiwode named Camrud an Associate Poet Laureate of North Dakota. She has published two books of poetry with New Rivers Press, “This House is Full of Cracks” and “Oddly Beautiful”, and “Songs of Horses and Lovers,” from the NDSU Press.

Denise Lajimodiere has a Covid-19 poem --listen or see it below. Also, scroll down for information about her new book.

MOTTO

Text of the poem is below.

Natalie Pierce