Poetry Friday: Grief

Paula Morrow, long time children's literature specialist and former executive editor with the Cricket Magazine group, lost her husband to cancer this month. Though I've only known Paula a short time, her loss touches me deeply. Paula's commitment to helping writers become the best they can be has been a gift to me. And I know what it means to have a husband who is also your best friend--Bob was that kind of man in Paula's life.

This poem from Emily Dickinson is my way of honoring his life and Paula's grief.

As imperceptibly as grief

The summer lapsed away,—

Too imperceptible, at last,

To seem like perfidy.

A quietness distilled,

As twilight long begun,

Or Nature, spending with herself

Sequestered afternoon.

The dusk drew earlier in,

The morning foreign shone,—

A courteous, yet harrowing grace,

As guest who would be gone.

And thus, without a wing,

Or service of a keel,

Our summer made her light escape

Into the beautiful.

For more Poetry Friday, visit Kate Coombs at Book Aunt.