Sue

Sue — 8 poems for my sister was written for Sue (Eberle) Stokes, Bill’s sister, who died in 2007 on the night of the last full moon of summer. The poems span six years, from the fall night Bill was dancing when he first felt her presence after her death, through the grief and wonder of the years that followed.

The collection moves from the intimate (“your face / and then your whole presence / floating down”) to the philosophical, finding in grief a path to the holy in a lilac tree — a gift from friends at work to ease his grief — in the physics of flight, in the transcendence of dancing. The final poem, written closest in time to Sue’s death, closes the book as it began: with love and light.

Originally published in 2014 as a limited edition hand-made photo cover paper book. The PDF is available as a free download at billeberlepoet.com.