Pages of Jean by Glenn Currier[This is a revision of the original, the last two verses added for the occasion of her memorial at which I have been asked to read this poem.]
As she approached,
her prehug arms stretched out,
she smiled a knowingness
as if there was something glowing between us
that only she and I knew.
She had a bawdiness about her
so endearing it filed off rough edges
crowded out self pity,
busy preoccupations
and self indulgence.
She could laugh at the dilemmas
hanging like rusty chains
around the necks
of those she counseled
in such a way
that her humor
was not offensive
but a momentary respite.
Her self-deprecating wit
completely disarmed
and laid low the power
of shame and blame
as she hugged frailty
into her humanity.
She was a rare angel
who bedeviled
and confounded
self doubt
and inadequacy
with the certainty
that there was no other
who deserved her attention
more at that moment
than you.
She was never more alive
than in the party
she made
of conversation,
story telling,
and relationship.
She was an anchor
that dropped
into our lives,
saved us from the serious
and inescapable troubles
we knew
as our personal
and communal storms
and flew into our hearts
sometimes a hawk
sometimes a dove
but always a lively
enduring
spirit.
- - -
And so here we are
turning the pages of Jean
feeling the edges of her
with the fingers
of our minds and hearts
because we are tucked
in the paragraphs
between the lines.
We punctuated her life
with the commas
and hyphens of ours.
We are here to read
our narratives into hers
to have one last party
for one last pull
of the slot machine’s arm
her hand on ours
her smile in our tears
her fingers tugging
an eternal grin
into our hearts. 07/11/2009 Author's Note: Since her recent death, I have had the distinct feeling that part of me died with my friend Jean Page. But my gratitude wells up within me like a child who has just read a particularly stirring and meaningful book. It was an inestimable good fortune to have read the pages of Jean and to have lingered there for more than three decades. Dr. Jean Page was a beloved and extraordinary counselor at El Centro College in downtown Dallas, Texas. We will miss her in ways we can barely know now in this moment of grief.
Posted on 07/11/2009 Copyright © 2025 Glenn Currier
Member Comments on this Poem |
Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 07/12/09 at 03:09 AM I enjoy your play on the name, and am quite moved by your tribute. To read your descriptions is to know her. What a fine woman to have in your life for so many years. |
Posted by JD Clay on 07/12/09 at 01:09 PM This admirable poem weighs very heavy on the heart but fills every void with endearing traits of a friend. Your interpretation and presentation seem to serve one another extremely well. I miss her already. Remarkable title too, Glenn! |
Posted by Charlie Morgan on 07/12/09 at 11:36 PM ...glenn, i read your words and knowing and loving jean, i grin a slight-loving, already missing her grin...she hated death to be the fellow traveller in/of life in OTHERS, yet she carried her death knell strongly, as a barrier to any pain inflicted upon others...she was a true Queen of the Lowly[in spirits]...me too on everylil' nuance of which you speak. |
Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 07/13/09 at 03:06 PM One could give no better tribute than you have here to a dear friend. May God continue to bless her memory to you and to all she touched so meaningfully. |
Posted by Philip F De Pinto on 07/14/09 at 12:32 PM Glenn, you have this incredible diamond bit, that drills down to the soul, and I am sorry for your loss. |
Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 07/16/09 at 07:32 AM What an excellent ode to an obviously fine spirit. A spirit that you've captured here, and so will never be too far away. Delighted. Thanks. |
Posted by Alex Smyth on 07/16/09 at 10:35 PM I am sure she counted you among the great blessings of her life also. A beautiful tribute. Thanks for sharing with us. |
Posted by A. Paige White on 07/17/09 at 02:10 PM Your love and appreciation draw a gorgeous sketch of one who pursued her purpose and scattered it abroad in the lives of all who shared or passed through her niche. The 4th stanza is particularly moving. Wouldn't it be lovely if all our pages were so well written by life? Beautiful tribute Glenn. |
Posted by Tony Whitaker on 07/17/09 at 03:09 PM I feel all I can add is Amen! Brilliant and moving! |
Posted by Charles E Minshall on 07/17/09 at 07:21 PM Wonderful tribute Glen.....CharMin |
Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 07/18/09 at 04:21 AM ...so very well deserving of the honor, too. So often, maybe, these fall into the tar pits of sentimentality. But here is fresh language, displaying honor and engaging insight. Hats off, Glenn. So delighted for you. Thanks. |
Posted by Maria Massarella on 07/19/09 at 02:39 AM Glenn...to read the pages of Jean through your eyes is a privilege. Thank you...lovelight&peace...m.a
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Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 07/23/09 at 04:25 PM Quite the literary illustration of character Glenn. I especially like the third stanza. Reminds me in some ways of those I too have known during my life. Kudos! |
Posted by Wayne Tate on 07/24/09 at 12:53 AM Nothing stops the chaos of the world more than the words of an artist who can capture love and life as deftly as this. Thank you for giving me pause to reflect on how your dear friend has touched so many lives and (through your pen) continues to touch those who read her. I can't thank you enough for sharing the memory and life of your dear friend Glenn. My sincerest sympathies and well wishes. |
Posted by Kathleen Wilson on 07/25/09 at 05:14 AM I love the image of her being "an anchor/that dropped into our lives". It is an especially very direct and meaningful metaphor, and one I feel is original as was her being and influence. Thank you for using the power of the relationship and personality to create a powerful poem, it is truly the best we can do with such circumstances of life and loss. |
Posted by David R Spellman on 07/25/09 at 02:44 PM Glenn, a really wonderful and touching tribute to Jean and her life and relationship to others. So many great lines in this and the feeling comes through so splendidly. Sounds like a truly wonderful person. An excellent write! |
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