The North Country BY EMILY BARNETT

(Inspired by Zechariah 6)

The North Country calls

to me on wings of a stork.

Gather me. Make me

Light and airy. Hollow

out my bones until

they ring like bells,

emptied of shame.

Bury my sins deep in

another land where only

thistle and briars bloom.

Carry me, good winds,

to my Father’s home

though I am still drenched

with the rains of here and now.

And my hands still

carry what does not

matter.

Emily seeks wonder in other worlds to remind readers of the wonder in ours. She is married to a bearded man, home schools their two young boys, and loves the slow process of sourdough, bird-watching, and gardening. Her YA science fantasy debut, Thread of Dreams, was published March 2024 with Owl’s Nest Publishers. Emily is represented by Andrea Morisson of Writer's House.