Poems-to-me

It is clear that my poetry, both page poems and sonnets have in many cases been a form of love letter. Many were given to my first love Susan, and later to Christine, Kiki and Margarita. But it needs to be added that love through poetry has always been a two-way street, and I received love letters as well.

It began with Susan and with Patti Cadden who were inspired by the page poem format that I used.

Here is a link to the poems that Susan sent to me. One is shown on the left. We also exchanged music, with two of the songs from her to me: Someday, I'll be yours; and I don't know why I see you everywhere.. Three of the songs were from me to her: I had me a little woman; Oh listen my love from far away; and I find my love a wild red rose.

And here is a link to a college essay by Patti that includes some of her poems. While Susan was a girl friend over several years, Patti was someone I met only once, romantically, in a bar in the mountains of Oregon when I was driving a Triumph sports car from New Haven to Seattle, but with whom we exchanged letters afterwards.

I have described elsewhere my relation to Joayne, who sent me poems every day, most of which were those she had found from other published poets.

Perhaps the most spectacular were the erotic watercolors with poems included that were sent to me by Kiki in the first flush of our love. Here are four with poems, one of which is excerpted below.