Newport resident Lana Hechtman Ayers is convinced that poetry saved her life. A prolific writer of poetry, she also describes herself as “a cat mama, dog mama, sky watcher, recovering coffee-addict and former New Yorker — as well as a poet, novelist, publisher and time travel enthusiast … obsessed with exotic flavors of ice cream, Little Red Riding Hood, and monochromatic cats and dogs.”
All that and more comes across in her heartfelt poems.
kAmw6C =2E6DE G@=F>6 @7 A@6ECJ U>52D9j U=5BF@j(96? p== t=D6 u2:=DUC5BF@j U>52D9j H:== 36 AF3=:D965 |@?52J[ |2J `d 3J %96 !@6ECJ q@I !C6DD @7 !@CE=2?5] p? :?E6C?2E:@?2= 3@@< C6=62D6 C625:?8 :D D6E 7@C |2J a_ 2E ?@@? @? +@@>j 56E2:=D 42? 36 7@F?5 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^{2?2pJ6CD]4@>Qm{2?2pJ6CD]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAm%H@ 255:E:@?2= 7F==\=6?8E9 A@6ECJ 4@==64E:@?D 7C@> pJ6CD 2C6 5F6 @FE D@@? 2D H6==i “~G6CEFC6D” E9:D 4@>:?8 pF8FDE[ 2?5 “%96 pFE@3:@8C2A9J @7 #2:?” :? $6AE6>36C a_ac]k^Am
kAmpJ6CD 92D 2 >2DE6C’D @7 7:?6 2CED 568C66 :? A@6ECJ 2?5 :? HC:E:?8 A@AF=2C 7:4E:@? 2D H6== 2D 568C66D :? ADJ49@=@8J[ 4@F?D6=:?8 E96C2AJ 2?5 >2E96>2E:4D] $96 H2D 2 HC:E6C :? C6D:56?46 2E w6586C@H[ 2 CFC2= C6EC62E 7@C H@>6? HC:E6CD @? (9:536J xD=2?5[ (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAm$96 :D >2?28:?8 65:E@C @7 E9C66 A@6ECJ AC6DD6Di r@?4C6E6 (@=7[ |@@?!2E9 !C6DD 2?5 (@C=5 t?@F89 (C:E6CD] $96 724:=:E2E6D 2 +@@> A@6ECJ 3@@< 4=F3 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm“x DE2CE65 >J 7:CDE A@6ECJ AC6DD 3642FD6 C625:?8 A@6ECJ D2G65 >J =:76 2D 2 49:=5[” D96 D2:5] “x E9@F89E :7 x AF3=:D965 A@6ECJ[ x H@F=5 36 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 7@C A@6ECJ] x 766= A@6ECJ >2<6D E96 H@C=5 2 36EE6C A=246]”k^Am
kAm%96 E:E=6 @7 96C ?6H 3@@<[ “(96? p== t=D6 u2:=D[” 6IAC6DD6D 96C C624E:@? E@ E96 5:77:4F=E:6D @7 96C 49:=59@@5 “:? E96 52C< 9@FD6 @7 >J >@E96C’D 2?86C[” 3FE 2=D@ D9@HD E92E 86EE:?8 A2DE E9@D6 5:77:4F=E:6D :D A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm“x 7:?5 E92E =:76 42? 36 2 362FE:7F= E9:?8[” D96 D2:5] “*@F 2C6 ?@E 567:?65 3J J@FC A2DE] *@F 86E E@ HC:E6 J@FC @H? =:76]”k^Am
kAmpJ6CD 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 >@G65 E@ }6HA@CE 7C@> %:==2>@@< :? }@G6>36C[ 27E6C 3FJ:?8 2 9@FD6 2?5 24C6286 @? E96 *2BF:?2 #:G6C] p ?2E:G6 @7 "F66?D[ }6H *@C<[ pJ6CD 92D =:G65 :? ~C68@? D:?46 a_`e] $96’D 2=D@ DA6?E E:>6 :? }6H w2>AD9:C6 2?5 (2D9:?8E@? DE2E6]k^Am
kAm!@6ECJ 92D 366? E96 7@4FD @7 96C =:76 D:?46 D96 H2D 2 J@F?8 49:=5] “x’G6 HC:EE6? A@6>D D:?46 x 4@F=5 9@=5 2 4C2J@?[” pJ6CD D2:5] “x 76== :? =@G6 H:E9 A@6ECJ 2E 2 G6CJ J@F?8 286]”k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 96C 49:=59@@5[ D96 =:G65 ?6IE 5@@C E@ 2 8:C= H9@ H2D 7:G6 J62CD @=56C 2?5 H@F=5 3C:?8 9@>6 3@@<D E@ C625 H:E9 96C] pJ6CD DA6?E 96C 49:=59@@5 :? A@G6CEJ[ 2?5 7@F?5 96C 7:CDE 3@@< @7 A@6ECJ :? 2 328 @7 5@?2E65 4=@E9:?8]k^Am
kAm“%92E 7:CDE 3@@< @7 A@6ECJ H2D 3J #F5J2C5 z:A=:?8[ 2?5 2?@E96C @?6 x 7@F?5 H2D 3J t=:K236E9 q2CC6EE qC@H?:?8[” D96 D2:5] “x 925 ?@ :562 H92E E96 A@6ECJ >62?E 3FE :E EC2?DA@CE65 >6 =:<6 >28:4] x C625 6G6CJ A@6ECJ 3@@< x 4@F=5 7:?5 :? E96 =@42= =:3C2CJ] x’G6 366? 2? 255:4E65 A@6ECJ C6256C 6G6C D:?46]”k^Am
kAm|2?J @7 96C A@6>D DA62< @7 96C 72>:=J — 2? 23FD:G6 >@E96C[ 2 BF:6E 3FE =@G:?8 72E96C[ 2?5 @=5 H@C=5 8C2?5>@E96CD] $96 D2:5 96C >@E96C H2D AC@323=J 5:28?@D23=6 2D 92G:?8 2 3@C56C=:?6 A6CD@?2=:EJ 5:D@C56C] “qFE 2D 2 49:=5[ x 5:5?’E <?@H >J >@E96C 925 2? :==?6DD E92E D96 4@F=5?’E 96=A[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6C >@E96C’D C624E:@? E@ pJ6CD’ 7:CDE A@6> H2D “E@ 4CF>A=6 :E FA 2?5 E9C@H :E @? E96 7=@@C 2?5 E6== >6 E@ A:4< FA >J EC2D9[” D96 D2:5] “|J 72E96C 2AAC64:2E65 E92E x H2D 2 HC:E6C[ 2=E9@F89 96 ?6G6C C62==J H2D :?E@ C625:?8] qFE 96 E2F89E >6 E@ A=2J A@<6C H96? x H2D f]k^Am
kAm“|J A2C6?ED >2CC:65 =2E6 2?5 H6C6 E96 286D @7 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6’D 8C2?5A2C6?ED[” D96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 E96J H6C6 @7 E96 86?6C2E:@? E92E E9@F89E 49:=5C6? H6C6 E96 >@E96C’D 5@>2:?] “!@6ECJ 96=A65 =:7E >6 FA 7C@> E96 D:EF2E:@? x 8C6H FA H:E9]”k^Am
kAm|F49 @7 96C A@6ECJ[ 6DA64:2==J 96C 62C=J A:646D[ :D 2FE@3:@8C2A9:42=[ 2=E9@F89 H:E9 2 A9:=@D@A9:42= E2<6] “|J 7:CDE EH@ 3@@<D H6C6 23@FE >6 2?5 >J A6CD@?2= DECF88=6D[ 2?5 E96 :C@?J @7 =@G6 :? 2 5:77:4F=E H@C=5[” D96 D2:5] (9:=6 E96 3F=< @7 96C HC:E:?8 :D 7C66 G6CD6[ pJ6CD 2=D@ HC@E6 D9@CE DE@C:6D 2D 2 49:=5]k^Am
kAmp?5 23@FE `a J62CD 28@[ D96 564:565 D96 925 E@ HC:E6 2 D4:6?46 7:4E:@? ?@G6= 3642FD6 :E’D 2 86?C6 D96 =@G6D] %96 C6DF=E :D 2 C@>2?E:4 E:>6 EC2G6= ?@G6=[ “%:>6 u=2D9i p?@E96C |6]” $96 :D DE2CE:?8 2 D64@?5 3@@< :? E92E D6C:6D]k^Am
kAm“!C@D6 :D ?@E >J >2:? H2J @7 4@>>F?:42E:?8[ 3FE x’G6 2=H2JD 366? 2 D4:6?46 7:4E:@? ?6C5[ 2?5 E:>6 EC2G6= :D H92E x =:<6[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D 23@FE 49@:46D A6@A=6 >2<6 :? E96:C =:G6D — H92E H@F=5 92G6 92AA6?65 :7 E96J 925 >256 5:776C6?E 49@:46D]”k^Am
kAm$96’D 2=D@ E@J65 H:E9 HC:E:?8 4@KJ >JDE6C:6D[ 2?5 :?5665 HC@E6 @?6[ @?=J E@ 56=6E6 :E :? :ED 6?E:C6EJ] “$@>6 52J x’== HC:E6 @?6 E92E x H@?’E 56=6E6[” D96 D2:5 H:E9 2 =2F89]k^Am
kAmqFE :E :D A@6ECJ E92E D96 =@G6D 36DE] pD D96 HC:E6D :? 96C A@6> E92E 362CD E96 ?2>6 @7 E96 3@@<’D E:E=6[k^Am
kAm“p?5 72:=:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6[k^Am
kAmx 2> 96C6 7@C E96 A@6ECJ[k^Am
kAmu@C >J 6J6D E@ 6>3C246 :ED >JC:25k^Am
kAmt?EH:?65 3C2?496D @7 D4C:AE…k^Am
kAm…x’> 96C6 E@ E@F49k^Am
kAmE96 3=2?< A286 H:E9 C6G6C6?E :?<]”k^Am
kAmpJ6CD 6IA=2:?65[ “>J AFCA@D6 :D E@ @3D6CG6 E96 8@@5?6DD @7 E96 H@C=5[ 2?5 72:=:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6[ x’> 96C6 7@C E96 A@6ECJ[ 2 C62D@? E@ 2AAC64:2E6 =:76] !@6ECJ 4@??64ED FD E@ 6249 @E96C 2?5 D9@HD E92E H6’C6 >@C6 2=:<6 E92? 5:776C6?E]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.