Relax -- They're Short -- Poems by Alice Barrett

Word Choice

Alice Barrett

My parents died.

My dogs and cats passed away.

My old loves kicked off.

(And not a minute too soon;

It served them right,)

My favorite professor was killed;

His car went over a cliff.

How will they phrase it

When I’m no longer here?

Light in a Churchyard

Alice Barrett

In the early autumn late afternoon,

Tea-stained gold sunlight

Splashes through the umbrella

Of the magnolia’s leaves,
Into the birdbath
Between the chapel

And the parish hall.

  

Although best known for her fiction (The Story Lovers, The Cod), Alice Barrett first came to attention through her poetry.  Her collections include Rings on Tables and Hoping for Lies.