Poem of the Day: "Etta’s Elegy" by Maureen Seaton

"Etta’s Elegy" by Maureen Seaton is the Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day and the offering from Poets.org's Poem-A-Day for March 17, 2014.  A link to the poem, including the poet's notes, may be found here:  http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23950.

Maureen Seaton (b. 1947) (pictured) teaches at the University of Miami.  She is the author of the Lambda Award-winning book Sex Talks to Girls.  Reference to this and additional biographical information may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/maureen-seaton.

My wife's grandmother, who died after a long and relatively happy life at the age of ninety-three, went by "Etta," so Ms. Seaton's elegy inevitably brought back memories of her.  I did not know her well, but, early in my marriage, my wife and I spent a week or so with her at her condominium in Florida--a happy memory.

"Etta's Elegy" is organized in eleven free-verse couplets.  Ms. Seaton uses anaphora with good effect.  The poet reveals in her notes that the images of snow geese were inspired by an actual sighting of these magnificent birds (pictured).