There are many wonderful people whom I wish to thank for their help with this book.
To Luciana Ricciutelli, Editor-in-Chief, Innana Publications, for her sage advice and to Inanna Publications for supporting my work, my deepest gratitude.
To Clara Blackwood, John Oughton, Mary Lou Soutar-Hynes, Sheila Stewart, and Elana Wolff, fellow members of the Long Dash Group, for their insightful feedback on several of the poems in this
collection, many many thanks.
To Laura Lush, Ruth Panofsky, and Elana Wolff for their support, my heartfelt thanks.
To Mary Lou Payzant for the cover painting, Fear of Falling #4, to John Oughton for his photograph of Mary Lou’s painting, and to Barbara Bender for my portrait photo, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To my husband Harold for his unwavering devotion and to my dear family and friends, my abiding love and gratitude.
Several of the poems in this collection were inspired or influenced by the work of the following artists who are Studio Artists of the Women’s Art Association of Canada: Mary Lou Payzant, Judith Davidson-Palmer, Wendy Weaver, Wenda Watt, Beryl Goering, Carolyn Jongeward, and Gail Read. My sincere gratitude to all of you.
Thanks as well to the editors of the following publications in which some of these poems have appeared: Literary Review of Canada; in education, Volume 20, No. 2; The Love of Tea Magazine; Poetic Inquiries of Reflection and Renewal; Poetic Inquiry: Enchantment of Place, and The League of Canadian Poets Tree Anthology.