While You Were Gone
By Kathleen McGookey
Kathleen McGookey has published four books of prose poems and three chapbooks, most recently Instructions for My Imposter (Press 53) and Nineteen Letters (BatCat Press). She has also published We’ll See, a book of translations of French poet Georges Godeau’s prose poems. Her work has appeared in Copper Nickel, December, Field, Glassworks, Miramar, Ploughshares, Quiddity, The Southern Review, and Sweet. She has received grants from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sustainable Arts Foundation.
10/4 / Meet the Artist with visiting poet-in-residence Raina J. León / The Library at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 6:00 pm EST / Free
10/4 / Poetry Reading with visiting poet-in-residence Raina J. León and local poet Susannah Winters Simpson / The Library at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 7:30 pm EST / Free
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Gorgeous specifics that so capture the nature of a particular kind of grief. And oh, how this poem lands so nicely: "I can't lie: I don't want to outlive you..." Yesyesyes... having outlived a husband and sailing that resuscitated car... I know that well!
This is so beautiful. Just as I tire of poems about loss (can I bear to read another?), in comes this, so spare and telling in its details. Thank you.