A Light for Ever After

Anna Turnitsa's poetry, short stories, and memoirs in progress reveal a writer who had been able to find the beautiful in misfortune, the positive in contentious times, and the strength to understand the human condition. She had found inspiration in grief, loss, and romantic love.

She tended to use a gothic romance style and tone in her writing. For example, in the last stanza of her poem “Dreams from Yesterday” from her self-published poetry collection “Silk Moths in the Moonlight: Poems on Love, Loss, and Longing.”

“dried petals fall off a windowsill when icy wind blows

to scatter upon the cobwebs and dust layered on lost dreamsa

once moonbeams shone down and reflected off calm waters

but torrential rains tore through with winds that shattered.”

I sensed an appreciation for even the heartbreak that can come from love and relationships, in this writing. The style evokes the imagination for a lost romance that haunts still.

An area of difficulty, in her earlier pieces, seemed to have been a struggle with the differences between the religious and the secular. It is as if she grappled, in some works, with an appreciation for these two mindsets to respectfully exist, alongside each other.

Themes that I found most often in her works are related to redemption, justice, and romantic love. I discovered the following poem in an unpublished poetry collection titled, “Under the Willow Tree: Poems on a Heart.”

When Nothing Remains

do not lose belief in a dream

keep a star ever within sight

thieves lurk – shadows deep.

do not forget the crime or debt

or regret a life destroyed by hate

memories haunt – lifetimes deep.

do not fear the rocks and turbulent sea

yesterday gone, tomorrow never here

divine time – decades deep.

In the above poem, she eloquently writes about seeking justice, not from pursuing revenge for harm caused but rather by embracing the distress and hurt that resulted while not forgetting that a is debt owed. She had a strong inclination toward intrapersonal responsibility.

I get the impression that she had a desire for truth, and she expressed her insights into truth and humanity with honesty and sincerity. I believe that if she had written more about the macabre, she would have had more commercial success. What follows is the first two lines from her poem “Dark and Terrible Things.”

“dark and terrible things in this heart doth roam

searching mercilessly for a permanent home.”

This confessional style writing about heartache is raw and unrestrained. She opened herself up and showed vulnerability. It is as if she is sharing a secret with the reader.

Her works give readers a lot to contemplate, and the poetical rhythms found in her writing makes reading them satisfying. I found more than an escape and entertainment when reading her works. I discovered inspiration and hope, which could only have come from a hospitable author. The works give a good snapshot of a life and offer an invitation to both get to know and understand her, if it is desired.

Anna did not seem to direct works toward any specific audience. Through her writing, I felt empowered to reach for another North Star and find success, there. She, also, helped me take a deeper look into the human condition and life around me.

If she were here today, I would ask what her greatest motivation for writing is and how she stayed committed. I would also ask her who inspired her writing the most.