Anne Sexton

Poets explore their external and internal worlds often creating images that are both beautiful and harrowing. The effects of mental illness can be especially challenging for a poet.

Today we note the birth date of Anne Sexton (November 9, 1928 – October 4, 1974), American poet known for her highly personal, confessional verse. Her poetry details her long battle with depression, suicidal tendencies, and intimate details from her private life, including relationships with her husband and children.

Words

Be careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
and leave not a sting but a kiss.
They can be as good as fingers.
They can be as trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.
Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.
Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren't good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.
But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.
Words and eggs must be handled with care.
Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.

― Anne Sexton

[from "The Complete Poems: Anne Sexton", Ecco (1999).