Afloat

In Afloat, Catherine Anderson inspects the world around her with the detail of a scientist, the imagery of a painter, and the introspection of a philosopher. Through frequently "quotidian" scenarios-learning to knit, cutting rhubarb, purchasing flowers at the grocery store-Anderson ruminates on themes of love, spirituality, and justice, celebrating the beauty and wonder around us but not shying away from the loss and pain that so often accompany them. These poems saint all they touch-feather dancers, bell ringers, rubber pastries, tardigrades-revealing the holy in the everyday and the profound ties that connect us to each other, the natural world, and all that has come before.

Winner of the 2025 Birdy Poetry Prize by Meadowlark Press.