Neighbor, Poet and Nearly Forgotten Friend
March 30th 2008 17:00
How we envisioned the lady.
She was wearing house slippers, a loose fitting bathrobe over a nightgown, we kids being unfettered by the rules of civil restraint or slaves to time, were up at the crack of dawn and checking out her garden at what I now realize was an ungodly early morning hour for a night owl, and she didn't appear pleased. Although disheveled in appearance, her faculties, self discipline and civility prevented the instantaneous mass murder we expected. To us, she was indeed a wild eyed maniac at that hour of the morning. To her, we were kids that were trespassing, a new concept to us, but one she explained to us all in very clear language. We protested and bemoaned our situation, hoping for an escape route out of her space, and awaited our fates; the gallows, chopping block or the plank.
Amazingly, being the woman that she was, she heard us out. And while remaining in the garden, freezing, she patiently answered our unconsidered questions; no, she wasn't a witch, she didn't kill cats and bury them in her garden, yes that went for children as well....., but truthfully, I wasn't all that convinced. Then, quite suddenly, she surprised us with an offer, "come into the house and have some cookies and a hot drink while we finish talking." An offer accepted while her words were still resonating in the air. We'd just received a pardon.
She entertained us with story's and poetry, while we busied ourselves by stuffing our faces with the treats she offered us. We, trespassers all, were grateful and relieved to have escaped the cauldron she supposedly kept handy for these types of incidents, and discovered in her, a warm friend. She autographed books of Poetry, something about a Garden as I recall and I didn't visit her again, but could never get the image of the poetry woman out of my head. Fortunately, some of my siblings maintained contact with her for years.
Sadly, I lost my copy of her poetry and was surprised to discover, via the internet, just what a woman of character she truly was. I only knew her as Mrs. Kizer, I now know that her name was Carolyn Kizer; A kids friend, poet and gardener.
Tangled garden paradise.
What better place than a garden to feel oneself beloved?
Carolyn Kizer, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, spoke of human beings' nature—that we all have to "weather into age" because "only joy endures." A long-time feminist, Ms. Kizer gives voice of, and to, women's experience. In her poem Pro-Femina, she speaks about being "in the racket" of women writers. In the last stanza, she notes the importance of gardens:
In my wild, ragged clothes,
until I am old, old,
I will have pretty gardens
wherever I am.
A lady hero of mine.
Raven
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