* For Lynn
I would have to be Anne Sullivan
to coax from you a word
to trace a letter on your palm
and from your lips be heard
I would have to learn the code of Morse
and dash my way around
and quickly dot my every thought
for you to make a sound
Or from the Old Town Indians
learn to speak in smoke
and shield my eyes from blinding sun
to hear a word you spoke
Or maybe flash a lantern sign
or flags on Navy cruise
referencing the code book to decipher
words you’d use
Maybe we could sign our thoughts
with fingers fast adept
spin our thoughts into the air
where all your words were kept
But in the meantime you stay mute
a sphinx for all of time
you vex me so because I know
you’ve a dictionary in your mind.
Author Bio:
Susan Rancourt was born and raised in Maine and has a deep reverence for nature which is reflected in many of her poems. Her poetic themes are often about the natural world, animals, historical poems, and childhood experiences. Her style is entirely her own: “I try to write powerful images that cause the reader to be transported to a specific time, place, event. I want my poetry to elicit a visceral reaction.”
She began writing poetry after seeing the film, Rare Film Clips of The Poet Anne Sexton, 1971 during a High School English class. She remembers being riveted by Anne Sexton’s beautiful candor and saw the film as way to verbally navigate the fear and depth of mental illness. Something that her own mother struggled with throughout her life. Her work has been published by: Bay Windows (Boston, MA), Journal of Poetry Therapy (NYC), The Writers Exchange (Society Hills, SC), Albany Poetry Workshop, Up Against the Wall, Mother…(Alexandria, VA), The Plowman Anthology (Whitby Ontario, Canada).
Susan is also an accomplished jazz vocalist, photographer and horse handler. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her spouse of 43 years, Annette and their dog, Kip.
I would have to be Anne Sullivan
to coax from you a word
to trace a letter on your palm
and from your lips be heard
I would have to learn the code of Morse
and dash my way around
and quickly dot my every thought
for you to make a sound
Or from the Old Town Indians
learn to speak in smoke
and shield my eyes from blinding sun
to hear a word you spoke
Or maybe flash a lantern sign
or flags on Navy cruise
referencing the code book to decipher
words you’d use
Maybe we could sign our thoughts
with fingers fast adept
spin our thoughts into the air
where all your words were kept
But in the meantime you stay mute
a sphinx for all of time
you vex me so because I know
you’ve a dictionary in your mind.
Author Bio:
Susan Rancourt was born and raised in Maine and has a deep reverence for nature which is reflected in many of her poems. Her poetic themes are often about the natural world, animals, historical poems, and childhood experiences. Her style is entirely her own: “I try to write powerful images that cause the reader to be transported to a specific time, place, event. I want my poetry to elicit a visceral reaction.”
She began writing poetry after seeing the film, Rare Film Clips of The Poet Anne Sexton, 1971 during a High School English class. She remembers being riveted by Anne Sexton’s beautiful candor and saw the film as way to verbally navigate the fear and depth of mental illness. Something that her own mother struggled with throughout her life. Her work has been published by: Bay Windows (Boston, MA), Journal of Poetry Therapy (NYC), The Writers Exchange (Society Hills, SC), Albany Poetry Workshop, Up Against the Wall, Mother…(Alexandria, VA), The Plowman Anthology (Whitby Ontario, Canada).
Susan is also an accomplished jazz vocalist, photographer and horse handler. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her spouse of 43 years, Annette and their dog, Kip.
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