A Wild Ride by Louise Kantro

A Wild Ride gallops through the political and social landscape of individuals, some from real life, some fictional, who have suffered from policies either created by the government or unchecked under a regime without empathy. From the ill-treatment of Native Americans in boarding schools; family separation of immigrants and refugees; struggles caused by sexual harassment; traps created by gangs, trafficking, and the foster care system; tragedies resulting from policies about abortion and guns, life in the US is not safe. After the extreme malaise many experienced after the 2024 national elections, the poet urges action and unity.

#poetry #Native American boarding schools #sexism #trafficking #family separation #foster care #abortion #guns #activism

Louise Kantro, retired teacher and cat-lover, volunteers as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for foster children. She has published poetry and prose in such journals as the new renaissance, SLAB, The Chariton Review, South Loop Review, Caesura, Cloudbank, and Monterey Poetry Review. Lately she is writing mostly political poems.

In A Wild Ride Louise Kantro elucidates the personal and political challenges of people and conditions that are often dismissed and ignored. Through their stories of struggle and injustice, woven into poetry, may this poignant collection awaken our compassion and ignite our resolution to stay aware and act on behalf of those in need.

Karen Hansis Baker is the author of the chapbook “Exercises in Stone” by Rattlesnake Press and editor of the anthology “A Circle of Voices”, Patient River Press, 2020.

A Wild Ride eloquently speaks to our need for clarity in a time of uncertainty and chaos. In poems that address many of today’s pressing issues, Louise Kantro expertly captures the 21st century American zeitgeist with precision and sensitivity. This is a collection that invites us to hop in, buckle up, and expand our horizons. Urgent and powerful, A Wild Ride compels the reader’s attention, inspires contemplation, and most importantly, generates compassion.

Linda Scheller, author of Laurels (Prickly Pear Publishing) and The Ghosts of 16 Larkin Street (The Word Works)