Beth, thank you for sharing this incredible poem--such a powerful, raw and beautiful and open, aching heart. I'm so moved by your testimony. It touches on so many areas of life that has been waiting for full expression--it is so truthful and presents such honest vulnerability--I can hear and feel the creaking of those "lost windows of opportunity"--such a universal chord. Thank you.
And also gratitude for honoring April and the spirit of poetry month. I am just so honored to be on your short list of recommended poets and I hope sincerely I can live up to your kind praises.
Coming from an awesome poet like you, I am speechless! Thank you for your kind praise of my poem. I wrote it during a dark period of my life, and I'm hoping that though I am no longer grieving that someone out there who is can find some comfort in not being alone with such grief.
Love April as poetry month. And I'm so proud of you and Mary for creating the video poem Aviary. What a splendid gift for National Poetry Month!
Such a powerful poem. The pain in your words is palpable. I'm sorry you had to experience that particular grief and heartache. As Marie mentioned, that sort of grief can feel so isolating. It was brave of you to put your pain to poetry and brave of you to share the poem publicly. I'm sure reading your words has validated the pain others have felt, thereby offering some comfort.
You've reminded me of a poem I wrote about my mastectomy. I might have to dig that out and share it before April is over. Of course, it wouldn't have to be shared only in April. Sometimes, there is no better way to express our pain than in a poem.
Thank you for sharing your poem and the links to some other gifted poets. I'll have to check those out. xo
Thank you for reading my poem and for your comment. Yes, the grief of cancer stealing my fertility was isolating. Cancer is a thief.
Thank you for saying I'm brave to write this and to share this. Like my art series, I originally thought the poetry I wrote was just for myself. Now I find myself sharing everything!
I would love to read your poem about your mastectomy. And, yes, you can share it during any month. Poetry is a great way to deliver the contents of one's soul onto the page -- be it electronically or physically. Writing "Infertile Crescent" was cathartic for me.
Oh Beth, reading your poem brought tears to my eyes. It's a grief that often feels so isolating, this loss of a future family, compounded by the already heavy burden of cancer. Your words, "moonlighting as a post-menopausal freak," are heartbreakingly honest and capture that feeling of being out of sync with your peers. Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing this. It helps to know I'm not alone in carrying this deep ache inside me x
Thank you for your kind words, and what you say holds so true: "It's a grief that often feels so isolating, this loss of a future family, compounded by the already heavy burden of cancer." Yes, it all feels like a burden. And you are not alone. So many women experience this.
When I went through treatment and after I realized I was infertile, it just so happened that a lot of friends and acquaintances were having babies. I was glad for them, but I was also quite sad for me.
Beth, I'm honored to be included in your list of poets.
Your poetry! Wow. Just as your paintings and your sketches reflect the images of soul, poetry is the language of the soul.
This is so poignant: "I cry as moonlight/ shines on broken shutters,/wind-rattled,/lost windows of opportunity." Not only does this speak of your personal myth; but it speaks to a larger human story of lost opportunity. Your poem is relatable, exquisitely beautiful and painful, all at the same time.
I am honored and humbled to meet the philosopher/poet alive in you. Big hugs, ~stephanie
Thank you so much for the high compliment about my poem. The poem you wrote was so beautiful; you are a poet, too, my friend. I was so happy to include it in my post.
Yes, those lines really conveyed the lost opportunity, and the pain of having lost that opportunity, all because of cancer treatment. I wasn't in a good place emotionally when I wrote it, as I was inundated with grief. But, then again, expressing grief is so cathartic and helps us better cope with the pain.
I think too, Beth, when we share the kind of pain that you did in your poem, we offer validation and insight, a sense of belonging to others who may feel lost in their pain. That always comes up for me -- grief can make me feel lost. So your poem about grieving is a light for someone else who feels lost. I'm struck by how our creative works give to us, but also gives to others. Holding you close in my heart, dear poet/painter friend.
Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your insights about grief. You are so right: grief can make me feel lost, as well. I think it's not only cathartic to write about one's grief, but as you so eloquently state, others who are grieving can latch onto the light that we share about this state of mind. Thank you!
Beth, you are a poet! I was blown away by your style, cadence, clever use of language and rhyme. This is so powerful. So so powerful.
And what a surprise to see you mentioned my name among the great poetry you're reading. I am humbled, because honestly this poem you wrote far exceeds any I've written! Keep doing this. You're really good at it.
Awww, thank you, Jeannie, for the high compliment! That means a lot to me. I believe your poetry is first-rate. The world needs our collective voices; no one voice is better than the other.
I'm always blown away by your writing -- prose and poetry. Keep up with it. You have such a gift for words, and I'm glad I could highlight some of the amazing poetry you've written.
"I have mourning sickness." That line from your poem is so arresting. It captures a feeling that’s hard to put into words: the inversion of something joyful into something painful. It's a stark reminder of how our expectations and realities can clash, leaving us with a sense of disorientation. It’s a phrase that lingers long after reading, echoing the depth of your experience. It also speaks to the power of language to capture a complex emotion in just a few words.
Alex, thank you for your thoughtful response. I really appreciate your analysis. As I was writing this, I felt disoriented as something joyful was juxtaposed with something painful. I so appreciate your insight on this work.
Beth, I think you should include this poem in any display of your breast cancer art series. I am partial to haiku myself, but I would have to say Ozymandias by Shelley and The Summer Day by Mary Oliver are my all-time favorites for well-known poets. I love discovering new poetry, thank you for sharing all of these links.
One thing you could do is print the poem out in reverse and transfer it onto a wood panel, then paint over it with transparent paint and paint some kind of design around it. You can always call me if you need more details.
It's interesting that you say I should include the poem in my breast cancer art series because this poem is part of a collection of poems geared toward readers who were diagnosed with breast cancer on the younger side. I never thought of merging my art and poetry in a display, but I think you are onto something. Thank you!
Love Ozymandias. I have yet to read The Summer Day and will check it out; I love Mary Oliver. My favorite famous poets include Tennyson, Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes, but I love so many!
Thank you, Rea, for reading and commenting on my poem. I wrote it during a heartbreaking time in my life. Luckily, I eventually became a mom when I adopted a baby years ago.
Beth, thank you for sharing this incredible poem--such a powerful, raw and beautiful and open, aching heart. I'm so moved by your testimony. It touches on so many areas of life that has been waiting for full expression--it is so truthful and presents such honest vulnerability--I can hear and feel the creaking of those "lost windows of opportunity"--such a universal chord. Thank you.
And also gratitude for honoring April and the spirit of poetry month. I am just so honored to be on your short list of recommended poets and I hope sincerely I can live up to your kind praises.
Thanks again for your great work!
Hi Gerry,
Coming from an awesome poet like you, I am speechless! Thank you for your kind praise of my poem. I wrote it during a dark period of my life, and I'm hoping that though I am no longer grieving that someone out there who is can find some comfort in not being alone with such grief.
Love April as poetry month. And I'm so proud of you and Mary for creating the video poem Aviary. What a splendid gift for National Poetry Month!
Hi Beth,
Such a powerful poem. The pain in your words is palpable. I'm sorry you had to experience that particular grief and heartache. As Marie mentioned, that sort of grief can feel so isolating. It was brave of you to put your pain to poetry and brave of you to share the poem publicly. I'm sure reading your words has validated the pain others have felt, thereby offering some comfort.
You've reminded me of a poem I wrote about my mastectomy. I might have to dig that out and share it before April is over. Of course, it wouldn't have to be shared only in April. Sometimes, there is no better way to express our pain than in a poem.
Thank you for sharing your poem and the links to some other gifted poets. I'll have to check those out. xo
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for reading my poem and for your comment. Yes, the grief of cancer stealing my fertility was isolating. Cancer is a thief.
Thank you for saying I'm brave to write this and to share this. Like my art series, I originally thought the poetry I wrote was just for myself. Now I find myself sharing everything!
I would love to read your poem about your mastectomy. And, yes, you can share it during any month. Poetry is a great way to deliver the contents of one's soul onto the page -- be it electronically or physically. Writing "Infertile Crescent" was cathartic for me.
Oh Beth, reading your poem brought tears to my eyes. It's a grief that often feels so isolating, this loss of a future family, compounded by the already heavy burden of cancer. Your words, "moonlighting as a post-menopausal freak," are heartbreakingly honest and capture that feeling of being out of sync with your peers. Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing this. It helps to know I'm not alone in carrying this deep ache inside me x
Hi Marie,
Thank you for your kind words, and what you say holds so true: "It's a grief that often feels so isolating, this loss of a future family, compounded by the already heavy burden of cancer." Yes, it all feels like a burden. And you are not alone. So many women experience this.
When I went through treatment and after I realized I was infertile, it just so happened that a lot of friends and acquaintances were having babies. I was glad for them, but I was also quite sad for me.
Beth, I'm honored to be included in your list of poets.
Your poetry! Wow. Just as your paintings and your sketches reflect the images of soul, poetry is the language of the soul.
This is so poignant: "I cry as moonlight/ shines on broken shutters,/wind-rattled,/lost windows of opportunity." Not only does this speak of your personal myth; but it speaks to a larger human story of lost opportunity. Your poem is relatable, exquisitely beautiful and painful, all at the same time.
I am honored and humbled to meet the philosopher/poet alive in you. Big hugs, ~stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you so much for the high compliment about my poem. The poem you wrote was so beautiful; you are a poet, too, my friend. I was so happy to include it in my post.
Yes, those lines really conveyed the lost opportunity, and the pain of having lost that opportunity, all because of cancer treatment. I wasn't in a good place emotionally when I wrote it, as I was inundated with grief. But, then again, expressing grief is so cathartic and helps us better cope with the pain.
I think too, Beth, when we share the kind of pain that you did in your poem, we offer validation and insight, a sense of belonging to others who may feel lost in their pain. That always comes up for me -- grief can make me feel lost. So your poem about grieving is a light for someone else who feels lost. I'm struck by how our creative works give to us, but also gives to others. Holding you close in my heart, dear poet/painter friend.
Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your insights about grief. You are so right: grief can make me feel lost, as well. I think it's not only cathartic to write about one's grief, but as you so eloquently state, others who are grieving can latch onto the light that we share about this state of mind. Thank you!
Beth, you are a poet! I was blown away by your style, cadence, clever use of language and rhyme. This is so powerful. So so powerful.
And what a surprise to see you mentioned my name among the great poetry you're reading. I am humbled, because honestly this poem you wrote far exceeds any I've written! Keep doing this. You're really good at it.
Awww, thank you, Jeannie, for the high compliment! That means a lot to me. I believe your poetry is first-rate. The world needs our collective voices; no one voice is better than the other.
I'm always blown away by your writing -- prose and poetry. Keep up with it. You have such a gift for words, and I'm glad I could highlight some of the amazing poetry you've written.
Thanks, Beth. We can cheer each other on, right?
Absolutely. We are part of a wonderful writing community!
Agree, Beth!
What a beautiful poem, Beth. I read right passed "mourning sickness" before I got it. Wow. Powerful.
Thank you, kindly, Nancy! I so appreciate your readership.
A beautiful poem that speaks to your pain and describes it so well.
Jeannine, I so appreciate your comment. Yes, there was lots of pain as I was writing it.
"I have mourning sickness." That line from your poem is so arresting. It captures a feeling that’s hard to put into words: the inversion of something joyful into something painful. It's a stark reminder of how our expectations and realities can clash, leaving us with a sense of disorientation. It’s a phrase that lingers long after reading, echoing the depth of your experience. It also speaks to the power of language to capture a complex emotion in just a few words.
Alex, thank you for your thoughtful response. I really appreciate your analysis. As I was writing this, I felt disoriented as something joyful was juxtaposed with something painful. I so appreciate your insight on this work.
Beth, I think you should include this poem in any display of your breast cancer art series. I am partial to haiku myself, but I would have to say Ozymandias by Shelley and The Summer Day by Mary Oliver are my all-time favorites for well-known poets. I love discovering new poetry, thank you for sharing all of these links.
One thing you could do is print the poem out in reverse and transfer it onto a wood panel, then paint over it with transparent paint and paint some kind of design around it. You can always call me if you need more details.
Sounds intriguing! I will definitely be asking you about this.
Hi Alene,
It's interesting that you say I should include the poem in my breast cancer art series because this poem is part of a collection of poems geared toward readers who were diagnosed with breast cancer on the younger side. I never thought of merging my art and poetry in a display, but I think you are onto something. Thank you!
Love Ozymandias. I have yet to read The Summer Day and will check it out; I love Mary Oliver. My favorite famous poets include Tennyson, Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes, but I love so many!
Oh my goodness Beth. This is deeply heartbreaking. Well voiced with this poem.
Thank you, Rea, for reading and commenting on my poem. I wrote it during a heartbreaking time in my life. Luckily, I eventually became a mom when I adopted a baby years ago.
I appreciate you!
I'm happy for you Beth. That's great news. 💕💕
Thank you!