"Poet Mother of Minneapolis" by Elizabeth Mercurio
JANUARY 2026
Poet Mother of Minneapolis
for Renee Nicole Good
That morning the poem brewing was you—
mother
poet
nation
song
mother
wife
community
love
mother
That morning the poem brewing was you—
That morning the poem brewing was you—
before
coffee
before
breakfast
before
state-
sanctioned
murder
before
That morning, you were the brewing poem.
- - -
1/10/2026
Elizabeth Mercurio’s work has appeared in Lily Poetry Review, Thimble Magazine, Vox Populi, and elsewhere. She is a Pushcart and Best of the Net nominated poet. She earned an MFA from The Solstice Program. She was named a finalist in the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Prize and the Wilder Poetry Prize.
