Poetry by Katy Santiff
If I, in my vasting, my long-sounded
self-review, recoup one coup too much for
you–I won’t fault you your auf wiedersehen,
bis spater, ‘til later, and then, adieu.
But what I meant to say to you: that I’ve
walked to the edge of your woodlines, that I’ve
pulled myself through your sentries [dead vines], and
I’m buckling beside your brook, you bathing
inside, where mysteries keep and alters hide
from the grasp of gods, while blood-angels spied
on us, a mass of tangle, and they cried.
A seedling springs, is feeding, where you died.
I’ve already extracted from me these pounds of cost–
these things that years will hemorrhage: love and loss.
About the Poet
Katy Santiff has written poetry in various forms all her life. A fan of meter and rhyme, she loves lines that hypnotize the reader with their sound. She believes in densely-packed poems, preferring them to be mouthfuls when read aloud. A lifelong Marylander, she loves water-side living. She currently lives in Edgewater, Maryland with her wife. Her Works have been published by Vita Brevis and Spillwords Press.
For the first time in nearly five years, Vita Brevis is closed for submission. Read the full story here.
Vita Brevis Press. 
Had to read this poem 3 times to unpack the lines. Beautiful images, meter. Reminds me of Robert Burns whose birthday was yesterday.
Thank you, Karen. I’m flattered by the comparison to RB!
So many ways to say goodbye, so many ways to grieve. I love your last line… But then, I love all your lines. Well done Katy😊
Thank you, Walt–that’s what I wanted to show with this series. That grief isn’t this static thing, it morphs with time, and what you can gain after great loss is the ability to compare that pain to the most beautiful experiences
You’re very welcome Katy. I have lived through all that. I lost my first wife to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after 35 years of marriage and 37 years of being together. Grief definitely isn’t static and I celebrate my time with her 😊
I am loving Katy’s work. Can’t wait to see more!
Thank you Harold, there’s one more in this series coming out soon