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Abstract
"Escaping Guest" is a collection of lyric and narrative poems in six sections. As a group the poems deal with the dilemma of how an individual cannot, apparently, even know what she thinks she knows with finality. The longer we live, the more complex life becomes. Both its possibilities and its limitations seem vast. The poems serve as individual illuminations: we may never find truth in whole, but we may find it in part.
Section I addresses the roles an individual has within a family unit. As the speaker moves from one role to another, she learns what being in relationship means, how different roles can alter her perceptions, and how this process leads to a more complete understanding of the ultimate value of being part of a family circle.
Section II focuses on a period in the speaker's life when she deals with the tentativeness and uncertainty that is a part of all apparent security. How does a person adapt to instability and constant change? What resources can she find in herself or her world to make that adjustment easier?
The poems in Section III center on experiences that hold lessons within themselves: an Easter card can bring its own quiet revelation; a picnic on the living room floor during a summer rain can offer reassurance.
Section IV looks at the impact on the poet of the western experience in terms of its geography, culture, and people. To know a poet, one must also know the poet's land.
The following section centers around certain human combinations. The poet attempts to penetrate through appearances to a more perfect comprehension as well as a greater appreciation of the value in finding adequate language to communicate with one another.
"Escaping Guest's" final section serves as last words from the poet. While we cannot see everything or understand life completely; while we may need to learn lessons repeatedly, and often painfully and slowly, the education itself is worth the struggle. Each part of the truth carries its own reward.
