Whispers Turned Shrill: poems from the edge of meaning

By Diane Estelle Imhoff

Diane Imhoff developed her love of poetry reading Sylvia Plath (for whom she has written the poem "Sylvia") and Anne Sexton in particular. She gave up writing poetry during the final years of her life because, in her words, "it all became too dark." That said, Whispers Turned Shrill ultimately represents a beacon of hope that points the reader in the direction of acceptance and wonder. Diane Imhoff's legacy will be her poetic insight as well as her kindness to her fellow travelers journeying together along that path into meaning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098370978

Book preview

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The following poems were previously published in the California State University, Chico, Department of English poetry periodical, Watershed.

Loving the Killer first appeared in Watershed, volume 15, Number 1, 1991.

Acacia first appeared in Watershed, volume 16, Number 2, 1993.

These Two Messengers, Chalklines, and It is good to be with you in the morning first appeared in Watershed, volume 17, Number 2, 1994.

The poem The Man Underground was previously published in the volume We Speak for Peace, an anthology of contemporary peace poetry edited by Ruth Harriet Jacobs, Ph.D., by Knowledge, Ideas & Trends, Inc., Manchester, CT, 1993.

Copyright ©2020 by Joseph F. Imhoff and Jonathan M. Imhoff

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published and distributed by BookBaby

Printed in the United States of America

Cover, interior design and copy editing by Thomas Imhoff

U.S. Copywrite Office Registration Number: TXu 2-232-830

Effective date of registration: December 10, 2020

Certification name---Thomas Anthony Imhoff

Certification date---December 10, 2020

ISBN-10: 1-09837-096-1

ISBN-13: 978-1-09837-096-1

Table of Contents

Autobiographical Sketch

Prologue

I.

Knowing Too Much

Tired of all This Stale Talk

Happy Sisyphus

Standing in the Dark

Sylvia

Medusa

At least that’s what she said

II.

A Family Revisited

Acacia

The On Duty Person

These Two Messengers

The Borrowers

How Dead the Dead

Chalklines

III.

Whispers Turned Shrill

Whispers Turned Shrill

Rainbows of Wings

Loving the Killer

Make the books darker please

She Wore Clouds and Fresh Grass

Check out Time was Last Year

They