Tuesday, February 2, 2010

722. I'D MET ANNE SEXTON ONCE BEFORE SHE DIED

I'D MET ANNE SEXTON
ONCE BEFORE SHE DIED

By her own hand, of course. That's
the way it always happens. Nothing sparkles like
death-as-dessert. I'd just been getting used to her,
liked her looks, loved her smile, and really dug
her work. And then, out of the blue, somehow,
she decides to take her own life. All that
confessional poetry crap had just worn her
down. The letter she left me said simply :
'I could have told you sooner, but
I'd already forgotten the words.'

1 comment:

nighthawk said...

Anne Sexton was perhaps my favorite poet. 1928-74. I know most poets by their born and died years. Interesting thought provoking. Confessionalism is a great part of my early poetry. Sexton quoted Kirkegaard in one of her poems in which he said "I want to impale people on the truth". She was most likely and undiagnosed manic-depressive and these folks usually die by their own hands.