Poetry and Healing
Often, I have used poetry as a means to heal. Something about reading words that paint a particular picture of life resonates with my heart and soul, quelling pain like nothing else will do. Several poets have this ability for me - Edna St. Vincent Millay, for instance. Her poem, " Tavern ," in which she writes about "grey-eyed people," always reminds me of Momma. The last lines tell our story, "Aye, 'tis a curious fancy --/But all the good I know/Was taught me out of two grey eyes/A long time ago." Tears well up in my eyes each time I read this poem. Not simply because Momma had grey eyes, but because it places Momma beside me in a way nothing else does. It is as if she is reading the words, again, with me...I can hear her and feel her presence. It is balm for my grief. Perhaps it was because Momma was so sick that poetry was a passion for her; a passion she gave to me. I have often wondered if her doctors had been poets would she have received b...