Ann Dickinson Beal
what an incredible spirit Ann Dickinson Beal was—
brilliant, as her mind pierced and enveloped
so that the deep mysteries
within past and present revealed themselves,
brilliant, as her heart knew you, loved you,
Ann appreciated fine food, fine drink, fine people,
Ann knew the joy inherent in every moment
if we can but let ourselves live it,
particularly the joy of poetry,
of watching tennis,
of swimming in a friend’s lake,
of her friend Rick’s description of her “4 Bs”:
William Blake, Wendell Barry, the Beatles, Bob Dylan,
of exploring the way history and religion weave together
in the lives of John Rogers, an ancestor, and William Tyndale,
who, like Ann, believed that all should have access to TheWord,
of exploring the way history and religion weave together
in the lives of John Rogers, an ancestor, and William Tyndale,
who, like Ann, believed that all should have access to TheWord,
as strong as her spirit was,
so was the fragility that could also infuse her:
a marriage that could not last
but which produced two amazing children,
a body that had to give up when the assaults were too much,
we miss the amazing wonder that was Ann,
by Henry H. Walker
Ann’s birthday--
she should have been 74 today
she should have been 74 today
No comments:
Post a Comment