The Silver City Public Library is pleased to present a reading by Sister Rita Plante of her poetry collection The Donkey Who Shall Remain Nameless on Tuesday, May 17, 3:00pm at the Silver City Public Library. The book is a compilation of her original poetry published by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia.
The poetry collection has been in the making since Plante was very young and is divided into sections showing her progression as a poet, containing poetry from the 1960s up through the 2020s. “My poem collection began in the 1960s, when, as a 20-year-old my inner thoughts began pouring out. Among the poems in the book you will see the path my life took,” Plante explained. “Some poems are to friends and others are written as verses in birthday cards. Some are reactions to what is going on in the world around me and others pure delightful musings from my inner poet.”
Sister Rita said as she approached her 80th birthday, she had folders and folders of her poetry organized by year. She realized she did not want her poetry thrown away. Sister Marcia Allen helped publish the work and Sister Gilla Dubé contributed photographs.
In the preface to her work, Sister Rita wrote, “These are my poems, coming straight from my heart. They are my story. At the time I’m writing this I am 79 years old. These poems are 79 years of the life of this quiet poet who wrote her heart out sometimes in tears, sometimes in rage, sometimes in prayer and praise and sometimes in glee. I hope you find yourself in one of the poems and it speaks to your heart.”
Sister Rita has lived in Silver City, New Mexico for 20 years. She is a frequent visitor at the hospital, leads groups in prayer, and once a week stands on a street corner and greets passerby with a wish and a prayer for peace and a nonviolent world as she has done ever since the events of 9-11.
The Silver City Public Library is located at 515 W. College Avenue. Contact the library at (575) 538-3672 or programs@silvercitymail.com for more information about programs, or visit the website, silvercitypubliclibrary.org.