OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL LOSS by Shelley Jinks Johnson

Shelley Jinks Johnson reminds me of Edna St. Vincent Millay in so many ways: both poets of love and grief and loss; both phenomenal performers who can captivate an audience including those with no prior interest in poetry; and both burdened by the beauty that attracts suitors “marinated in vodka and lies” while they are still grieving. (If you have not done so already, check out Johnson’s viral poem “Pretty Little Widow”!) In Millay’s poem “Song of a Second April,” she observes spring returning as usual, except that “only you are gone, / you alone that I cared to keep.” In Johnson’s poem “Bloomless Summer,” she notes that spring will come again “no matter who is not here to see it.” Sisters in the art across a century of time, both poets touch the hearts of readers with their raw honesty and memorable words, offering us the comfort that we are not traveling dark paths alone.

–Dr Julie Kane, Professor Emeritus of English at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, is a former Poet Laureate of Louisiana and author of “Mothers of Ireland” from LSU Press, “Jazz Funeral,” and other poetry collections. Juliekanepoet.com

Shelley Jinks Johnson has a remarkable ability to recognize our humanity, deconstruct it down to the cellular level, and then rebuild it in a language that is both universal and profoundly unique. Explaining the deepest emotions with a minimum of words; the mark of a gifted poet.

–David Atwood is a native New Orleanian poet, voice actor, architect, and musician. Author of three poetry collections: “Find Your Way Home,” “Catfish Bones and Cajun Ghosts,” and “Instamatic.”