In Memory of Carol Van Etten

I was very sad to learn that Carol Van Etten, who was a member of the Barre Writers for Recovery group, passed away on October 7, 2019 at age 68. Carol was a wonderful woman and a prolific and dedicated poet. Over the years, she regularly mailed packets of her work to friends and relatives, and she participated in several WFR readings at Barre’s Studio Place Arts Gallery.

In recent years, Carol had lived in New Jersey. Just last week, Bob Purvis from the Barre Turning Point passed along an envelope Carol sent to Deb and me. We opened it this morning to find a warm letter filled with Carol’s usual positivity, along with a drawing and a number of recent poems. I’ve posted her poem ”Windy Town,” as it includes so much of what made Carol an amazing person: her love of nature, her connection to New England, and her enthusiastic outlook on life. Carol, you will be missed.

Windy Town
by Carol Van Etten

 Taking a deep, full breath of air —

Gaze at the winsome cobalt sky —

Such gratitude persists in my heart

Reminiscent of hearing a baby cry.

Tender, aching sounds abound —

Nostalgia for the love and trust

near me in New England in yesteryear —

In my old home town in Vermont.

Now is a new reality and vibrant

Existence where drawing, reading —

Becoming acquainted with new folks

Cherish the “old” — Welcome the “new.”