The Poet's Child
2002
(summary on the back of the book)
“The Poet’s Child” explores the intimacies between parent and child, from true story to wildest dream, in an exhilarating range of experiences and viewpoints. Whether the poet is from a contemporary American city or a Chinese village, from Norway, Poland, or the woods of the Pacific Northwest, each finds unique insights into this most universal subject, revising and revitalizing our shared experience. What parent has not looked at a son or daughter and thought: “I suspect I am here less for your protection than you are here for mine.”
(editorial review from Amazon.com)
When a parent is poet, the child becomes muse--often wondrous, sometimes terrifying. This anthology explores the vast emotional landscape of parenting, from the serenity of innocent naps to the howling anguish of early deaths. Here are poetic mothers and fathers (and children), across cultures both ancient and modern, trying to make sense--and art--from the sublime mystery and relentless grind of raising a family.