Photography by Jennifer Matthews

 

Paperwhites

The paperwhites a friend gave me
are out of control.
Easily reaching two feet tall, and
aiming for that extra foot.

The smell, or the fragrance,
if you are one of their admirers
is enough to overwhelm
my small living room.

I think about the family of Renee Good
and I wonder if they are able
to breathe through all the flowers
the donations, the food no one can eat.

Or, if they do swallow anything,
It’s because somehow, they know
that to refuse the food, the comfort
the love, is the same thing
as losing her all over again.

 

Beverly Cartwright is a writer living in Richmond, Va. A former medical professional who recently retired, she is now returning to an earlier love of writing. She is currently working on a second collection of poetry and a memoir about family life in the 1990’s. Her work has been published in Oddball Magazine, The Raven’s Perch, Stone Poetry Quarterly, and in the Spartan Press Anthology, No One Sees the Irony. Her first full length collection entitled Intact was published by Luchador Press in February, 2026.

Poet/Photographer Jennifer Matthews’ poetry has been published in Nepal by Pen Himalaya and locally by the Wilderness Retreat Writers Organization, Midway Journal, The Somerville Times, Ibbetson Street Press and Boston Girl Guide. Jennifer was nominated for a poetry award by the Cambridge Arts Council for her book of poetry Fairy Tales and Misdemeanors. Her songs have been released nationally and internationally and her photography has been used as covers for a number of Ibbetson Street Press poetry books and has been exhibited at The Middle East Restaurant, 1369 Coffeehouses, Sound Bites Restaurant in Somerville and McLean Hospital.