They Aren't Your Ducks

They Aren't Your Ducks chronicles twenty mid-life years in the well-examined life of a professional woman, mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. The poems are about the resilience of love, applied to everything from the angst of academic assessment meetings, to the love of a good dog, to the chaos that addiction can inflict on a family, to the caretaking of aged parents, to the grief and spiritual recovery from family loss. The poet uses a variety of poetic forms to tease out unexpected observations, understandings, and feelings she came to understand through her words and images. These poems have no axe to grind; they are grounded in the human condition and not the body politic. They are unpretentious and joyful and sad and understand the process of being a human, subject to stresses, strains, sorrows, and the inevitable losses and joys of living. The poems celebrate the gains salvaged from loss, the strength that comes only through loss, and the peace revealed by faith and acceptance. If you don't want to feel anything, don't read these poems. If you are grieving a loss, these poems will help.