The 95 free-verse poems in this fourth volume of Sparrow Songs were penned from 1972 through 2006. Over half of her poems are prayer poems to Jesus. Others are what the author designates as "people poems," either directed to a person or persons or concerning the joys or sorrows of a particular individual's life. Some of the poems sing the beauties of Nature - one of God's great gifts - with the author's hope that those pieces will nourish readers and move them to more deeply relish the Creator's gifts. The poems are sequenced under major headings such as Prayer Poems to Jesus, Miscellaneous, Mercy, Nature, Friendship, and Mary. The author feels "that the ability to write, especially in the lyricism of poetry, is also a gift from God - one to be used with reverence and respect for the individuals concerned." Those qualities continue to permeate the poems chosen for this book. The quality of the book's selections is high, as one would expect from an author who holds a master's degree in English from DePaul University in Chicago and who taught poetry for many years.
Sister Dolores Coleman, a member of the Daughters of Charity - a Catholic religious order - since 1941, was born Mary Dolores Coleman in 1921 in Meridian, Mississippi. On her maternal side, she is the descendant of an early French explorer, Denis Ladnier, of the Gulf Coast. Her mother, aunt and grandfather were the sole members of their immediate family to survive the 1906 Hurricane, which still ranks among the most devastating hurricanes to hit the Gulf. After joining the convent, Sister Dolores earned a bachelor's degree in Education and French, then a master's in English. She taught both elementary and high school, teaching religion, English, Latin, biology, French and physical education at various times and such diverse places as Chicago (IL), Keokuk (IA), Milwaukee (WI), St. Louis (MO) and Natchez (MS). But Sister spent a quarter century (1972 - 1997) ministering to the spiritual and social needs of the Mississippi deaf Catholic community at the request of the bishop of Mississippi and her religious order. In 1976, she founded the de l'Epee Deaf Center, named for the French priest who started the first school for the deaf in Paris. Sister Dolores directed the Center until she suffered a broken neck in a car wreck. Not only did she use her skills as a certified interpreter for the deaf, but she also was a tireless advocate for the deaf and an effective fund raiser for the Center. Sister Dolores has written poetry for many years, including since she arrived at her religious order's retirement home in Evansville, Indiana, in 2004. She hopes the profits from this volume of poetry will help underwrite the de l'Epee Deaf Center's work. Her original volume of Sparrow Songs was published in 2005, her second Volume in 2010. Her third volume coincided with her 70th Jubilee as a Daughter of Charity, 2011. This fourth volume is being published in 2012. Sister Dolores' nearly lifelong nickname of "Sparrow" was given to her by her kindergarten teacher, who felt the child "flitted" around like a sparrow, "chirping" (talking) all the while. Sister later learned that song sparrows are especially noted for the beauty of their songs. She hopes her poetry sings...and thus came about the Sparrow Songs title of her poetry collection.
