Shirley Kaufman (1923–2016) published nine poetry collections, including Roots in the Air, Threshold, and Ezekiel’s Wheels. For her achievements in unveiling the voice of a woman on such topics as childbirth, family relationships, envy, love, aging, and the meaning of Jewish fate, she received many honors, including the Pushcart Prize, the Shelley Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Israel President’s Prize for Literature in 2007.

Amazement

by Shirley Kaufman

Nothing makes any sense where
I live and nothing made much sense
where I came from, the parts
didn’t work.

                        What I learned best
was to pretend. That made me feel
different from everyone else.
They skipped me in school


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