Growing up on a farm in Western Pennsylvania, one of my heroes was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) -- a brave and talented female who died too soon. Fearlessly Earhart broke barriers for all women and my admiration for her led to the following poem (which is a tiny bit mathy -- since it contains several numbers). The 125th anniversary of Earhart's birth occurs soon -- on July 24, 2022 -- and lots of years ago after reading about her life I wrote these lines to celebrate my appreciation for this remarkable woman.
Lost Star by JoAnne Growney
Somewhere in Kansas,
seven years old,
belly slamming on ice --
a close call.
Set for collision
with a horse and cart,
that girl put down her head
and slid between the horse's legs.