In the spring of 2023, the leader of our Anchorage Ole’! Memoir Writing Class invited a poet, educator, and writer to talk to our class about different genres of poetry. When she offered to teach a few classes on poetry, I was intrigued. Up to that point, poems were something I simply enjoyed reading. Trying my hand at writing a poem had never really crossed my mind. After taking her first class, which included five minutes of free writing, I was inspired. When my very first poem “The Magic of Sandhill Cranes” was published, I was hooked. This part of my website is dedicated to my poetry.
New Passion
This poem, which describes my new-found passion for writing poetry, was written during a class that explored different poetry forms.
An example of an acrostic poem, it was published in the 2025 poetry anthology, Diving into Poetry Forms.
For more, continue readingSavoring Day’s End
“Savoring Day’s End” was inspired by the Italian phrase, “Dolce far niente,” which translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing.”
This poem and photo were published in Volume 33, Issue 2, Summer 2025, Alaska Women Speak.
For more, continue readingTime to Just Be
“Time to Just Be” recalls memories made while sitting by the sea in the early morning hours on Green Island in Prince William Sound.
This poem and photo were published in Volume 33, Issue 2, Summer 2025, Alaska Women Speak.
For more, continue readingOde to an Arctic Poppy
When hiking in Cape Krusenstern National Monument, I came across an Arctic poppy that captured my eye and led me to write this poem.
This poem and photo were published in Volume 33, Issue 1, Spring 2025, Alaska Women Speak.
For more, continue readingFriendships Are Fire
The phrase “Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.” by Cormac McCarthy, The Road, inspired me to reflect on friendships I have experienced over the years. This poem is the result.
This poem was published in Volume 32, Issue 4, Winter 2024/2025, Alaska Women Speak.
For more, continue readingTropical Storm
Inspiration for “Tropical Storm” was based on rainy season experiences at the Hacienda Baru Lodge and Selva Verde Rainforest Reserve in Costa Rica, the Iberá Wetlands in Argentina, and the City of Kuching on the Malaysian island of Borneo.
This poem was published in Volume 32, Issue 3, Fall 2024, Alaska Women Speak.
For more, continue readingIn Sickness and in Health
I was inspired to write the following poem, after thinking about the prompt “I am from…”. It is dedicated to my parents, Julius and Nadene Bergmann.
This poem was published on August 1, 2024, in the online literary journal, Poetry Breakfast, https://poetrybreakfast.com/2024/08/09/in-sickness-and-inhealth-a-poem-by-pamela-bergmann/.
For more, continue readingThe Magic of Sandhill Cranes
During my first year volunteering at Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary near Kearney, Nebraska, while co-guiding one evening with Margery Nicholson, I experienced a life-changing event….
This poem was published on April 1, 2024, in the Anchorage Daily News.
For more, continue reading