UPDATE: one more poem added, from Marcia Molay.

The North Shore Poets’ Forum gathered at the Beverly Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 19, for its usual February meeting, but with a different plan than usual: we would spend part of the time remembering our dear friend Amy Dengler, who died the week before.

Some of our members had gone to the Celebration of her Life the prior Thursday morning in Gloucester, and were able to share the beauty of the service, which was planned entirely by Amy.

“I felt as though Amy was my hostess,” said Beverlee Barnes about the care and attention to detail evident throughout, which was typical of the graciousness intrinsic to Amy.

Claire Keyes had felt a tiny bit reconciled to Amy’s death when various people chosen by Amy read some of her poems. Keyes then led Forum members in reading from Amy’s book “Between Leap and Landing,” so that we all would know Amy is always with us — in our memories and in her poems. (See some excerpts from her book on this website under “Introducing Amy Dengler.”)

Amy had also put together another volume of poetry, which we are hoping to receive soon and share with some of you, if her family permits. In the meantime, here is one of Amy’s poems that was read at the celebration of Amy’s life, which Roberta Hung has forwarded.

Valentine

It was only a button, a device

to fasten one side to another yet

it kept reminding me that my winter coat

was missing its middle fastener.  The coat,

still draped over the kitchen chair,

was one button short, brown thread trailing

from the empty space like a memo:

get to this soon.  Instead

I wore the blue jacket with the zipper.

On Wednesday while I was out,

he found the sewing kit, brown thread, a needle,

and reattached the button, size of a quarter

and made of bone or horn or something durable

that didn’t mind fingers, didn’t mind the in and out

of its intention, didn’t mind the simple work

of holding things together.

                                                            February 2008

                                                            Amy Dengler

……………………..

 Here is a poem by Roberta that she shared with Amy and the other Forum members at our annual summer outing in Gloucester:

Shelf Life

 My bulging bookshelf threatens to mutiny

      against the crowded conditions.

Some amigos will have to go

      where expatriots get sent.

I hope they’ll be valued in their new homes.

 …

A fellow poet recently humbled to Amy Dengler.

He’d paid a pittance at a resale

      for her book, Between Leap and Landing.

His apologia suggested that he rescued it

      from landing in the fire.

 …

Personally, I think it leapt to a new shelf

      to set more hearts aflame.

Good books are like the phoenix.

Amy, mon amie, my copy is a signed keepsake

      of a lovely mentor and friend.

                                                             4/17/10

                                                            Roberta Hung

And, we also have the poem to which Roberta is referring, by Lee Eric Freedman:

 (© 11/16/2009: Lee Eric Freedman, Tin Box Poets – Swampscott, MA)