The blue line, by Tracy Ahrens

Poetry, chapbook, 36 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

My poem “Wind and water,” which I began writing while sitting on Peterson Beach along Lake Michigan, was a catalyst for this body of work. The poem was written as my uncle was dying due to cancer. He lived several miles away from where I sat.

A friend of my uncle told me that his family asked him why he wanted to live in upper Michigan. His friend told me, “The wind and water are all I need.”

I began following a social media page that showcased photos of the beautiful surroundings in that area. One day someone posted a painting of the lake and a harbor where my uncle and I visited. In that painting was a blue line depicted across the water. It made me think of the blue line noted in my poem, the line on the horizon where sky and water meet.

The artist, David Stradal, reached out to me and our relationship began. David has a cottage on a bluff overlooking the lake just a few miles south of where I sat writing “Wind and water.” He gave me the painting that connected us. It is featured on the cover of this chapbook.

Wind and water endlessly fuel and shape life. Likewise, David and I continue to shape each other into something more beautiful together than when we stood alone. Love is the constant blue line on the horizon that we hold on to as we evolve. These poems were written during our first year together.

Tracy Ahrens lives just south of Chicago, Illinois and has been a journalist/writer for over 30 years. She has published nine books, including two non-fiction works, five children’s books and two books of poetry. As of 2024 she had earned 120 writing awards. See her website at www.tracyahrens.weebly.com.