Lonnie Howard grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, lived for a while on the coast of Washington where she gave birth to her daughter, and had jobs counting the waves and caring for the elderly. Ultimately, since 1981, she has made Santa Fe, New Mexico her home. For 35 years Lonnie was the director of the Scherer Institute/Santa Fe School of Massage, where the tenet “It is an honor to touch another human being” was held sacred. And it was an honor for her to be part of that community. She is currently a student of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy.
Lonnie is an avid birder and community scientist in the realm of avian conservation, and recently extended that into the butterfly world. The night sky fascinates her. Birding and butterflying and observing the movements of the planets have helped her be more attentive to what is happening in any moment.
She has been writing poetry since 2000 and her poems have been published in a variety of journals and anthologies. “Approaching Winter Solstice,” a poem inspired by a rising full moon, was put to music by composer Paul Carey for the Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble. Poems insist on being written—to bear witness and give voice to a story or moment in time that wants to be acknowledged. Lonnie offers her poems with humility, knowing they reflect only her perception of these stories, these moments.
Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (June 6, 2024)
Also available on Kindle