Welcome to Poetically Yours, where you'll hear the voices of Illinois poets as they share their words about the world around them. This week, features Aurora's Poet Laureate, Karen Fullett-Christensen. Her poems include, "No Longer Virgins" and "We Are All in Chains."
No Longer Virgins We have bitten the apple we have pulled back the curtain we are no longer virgins so, what do we do?
Once the forest is breached the tree has been accessed wind blows through the branches you're commanded to act
No more denial no more excuses no more turning away as if nothing was seen
Sitting astride the horns of dilemma whipping a froth of time-worn cliches what we thought once was true we know now won't work.
We Are All in Chains The world was built on the backs of the weak and rests there still no Atlas Superman holds things in place as mythology taught us if we strip away the fantasy tales of history and admit, underneath, the reality the strong have survived by keeping their knees on the necks of others a horrific truth:
Are we ready to listen are we ready to cut through dishonesty are we ready to walk away from beliefs that have held us in chains: both victims and their overlords?
Fullett-Christensen was born and raised in Chicago. She graduated from Mather High School and Northern Illinois University. She’s lived in several of Chicago’s south and west suburbs, and in Missoula, Montana.
Fullett-Christensen worked as an urban planning/economic development/grant administrator with the City of Aurora. She retired in December 2012. Since then she’s been active as a volunteer and member of several groups. These include: The Fox Valley Music Foundation, the Fox Valley Festival Chorus, Books and Bread (book club), the League of Women Voters, the Illinois State Poetry Society, and Aurora Downtown. She’s also the co-founder of a writers’ group called A-Town Poetics.
Fullett-Christensen says she’s been writing poetry for as long as she can remember. She’s self-published 19 poetry manuscripts. In January 2020, Fullett-Christensen was appointed the first poet laureate for the City of Aurora. She will serve until May 2021.
