What Falls Away Is Always: Roethke’s “The Waking” and the Offer of Presence in Dying
Publication information:
Abstract
When we are with the dying, what might we have to offer in addition to the sacred offices of soothing, distracting from, or caring for the body as it is? This presentation will take the audience through a close reading of Theodore Roethke’s “The Waking” to offer a model of how a poem’s formal poetics can support the creation of opportunities for greater awareness, presence, and peace in the dying process. It is a practice of integrating mind, body, and heart, to nurture a gentle allowing of what is present in the moment, to whatever degree awareness can allow.
Presenter Biography
Based in New York City, Thomas March is a poet, performer, and Certified Integral Coach. He is the author of Aftermath (2018), and his work has also appeared in The Account, The Adroit Journal, RHINO, and OUT, among others. He was selected as a National Arts Club Fellow for 2023-24.