Maria and I went to the Holcombe Adult Home in Granville this afternoon to bring the 15 of her poems that will be included in our friend Mary Kellogg’s fourth volume of poetry, “My tIme Of Life.
The book will be published in May with with the help of graphic designer Abrah Griggs of Vermont. It will be printed by the online publisher CreateSpace and sold by Battenkill Books in Cambridge, N.Y.
Mary fell and broke her hip about a month ago, she is still undergoing physical therapy and hopes to return to her farm one day soon. She says she misses the farm, and is sometimes bored, but appreciates the food and the kindness of the staff at Holcombe.
We wanted to show her the final poems and some corrections for her approval.
Mary is 89 years old, she began writing poetry when she was eleven but never showed her poems to anyone until she was 81. She is a gifted, lyrical and compassionate poet, her work full of life and independence and dignity. She promises to read from her new book in October at our Open House at Bedlam Farm.
She lives on her 30 acre farm on a hilltop in a remote upstate New York. She is fiercely independent and is a passionate lover of nature. Mary is a cherished part of our lives, and is a wonderful friend.
Last week, she showed us the poem “The Photo,” which we read for the first time, it was written in 2010, it was inspired by the death some years earlier of her beloved husband Dick, who died of Alzheimer’s Disease. The poem will be published in “My Time Of Life.”
The Photo
“the photo drove me deep within myself,
seeing you,
hair tossed by a sea spray breeze
my hand in yours and you kneeling
braced against the little beached skiff
you smiling so full of life and curious visage
years will pass
and times of walking on the beach
hand in hand with
thoughts inside pristine
our young minds
now with aching heart
I long to hold that hand
kiss that mouth, love that body as one
every day was a new one,
did we notice it?
full of plans, worries, saving for this and that
trips to spirit filled mountain tops,
where have moments gone?
moments that filled every minute
important moments
some forgotten
some held beyond my reach
today the sun is warm, bright and loving
I look up and realize the stars are still here,
set in the abyss of blue. A favorite hymn.
God gives Freely and I accept Freely of blue.
A fair exchange.”
Mary Kellogg, February 22, 2010