This is my second poem included in the anthology “Poets Speaking To Poets: Echoes and Tributes” – the brainchild of editors Robert Hamblin and Nicholas Fargnoli and is a tribute to poet Jane Kenyon. It first appeared in my chapbook “Irresistible”. Imagine my surprise to be handed a brochure about the artist Jane Kenyon during a walk one day! Referenced in the first stanza are various titles from her striking works and in the second are titles and lines from the poet – fun to do and which would be evident to any reader already familiar with the poet’s work; however I wanted to give equal footing to the lesser known artist, whose exhibition theme echoed so many of Jane Kenyon’s poems. The artist didn’t begin her career in visual art until 1993, two years before the poet died. Though the poet was born in 1947 and the artist in 1953, they probably didn’t know each other. You can find out more about the artist here
The book is a wonderful collection of poems that talk to each other through poets past and present. It’s available on Amazon here and also here.
Lynne Burnett 
Lynn, this is quite thought-provoking. I let it sit a day and came back to see if I’d be more in sync with your implied loss to Leukemia. I’m still conflicted – a long, healthy life certainly my desire. But a long unhealthy life? I can sense gratefully accepting an expeditious closing. Between the extremes is your “gradual drift of surrender”. [If only we could ask Jane Kenyon for her perspective!]
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Jazz, you sure got me thinking! It was fascinating to me that both artist and poet were preoccupied with the transience of life in their subject matter and I just wanted to put that out there. I don’t have an answer and yes, would love to know the poet’s perspective! Jane’s poetry lives on and also, in a weird way, in the other Jane’s art. Sometimes our poems know things before we consciously do too….(“Let evening come”)
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