This poem was written because Anne Sexton's dear
friend, and a good friend of mine, is Maxine Kumin.
Super poet.
Super lady.
And in the newspapers in Baltimore at any rate,
there were a lot of quotes from Maxine.
And I wanted to write a poem, because I
didn't agree with her quotes.
Life had a depressing effect on her.
She was so terrified of death she ran out to meet it.
Newspaper quotes attributed to Maxine Kumin.
For Max.
Lady it is depressing, no mistake.
Still, there is something in it.
Things come out rough and read but they come out.
And we bear the bearing of them.
We poets with breasts crying over our own milk.
What must our daughters think?
Who drink our overload.
Spilling, spilling, feeding them and other selected works.
Breathe for the labors sake.
Endure.
These bones were made for bearing.
Like it or not.
Max, it was life she was afraid of all the time.
[APPLAUSE]