Passing of Elders: New and Selected Poems - Paperback

by Jilynn Cherish (Illustrator), Bonnie Cochrane Hirsch (Author)

A spirited celebration of joy and vulnerability, opportunity nearly missed, unfettered happiness of children and dogs, struggle to adjust to unexpected change, backbone gained from shattering loss, and the continuity and interconnectedness of generations. The poet evolves from a 30-year-old musing at the funeral of a dour old man, through surprising discoveries during her own gradual aging, the loss of people she looked to as her elders, to the realization that she herself has become an elder. While she continues to delight in life, she is astonished to realize that she no longer fears death.

Author Biography

Bonnie Cochrane Hirsch grew up in Idaho. In college she finally learned that not all "literary" poets were dead males and not all poetry rhymed. Her first book, Reading the Weather, was followed by two chapbooks and publications in anthologies and magazines. After simultaneous careers as a librarian, prose writer, dog walker, and mother; and years of going by her middle name (Carolee), she has resumed publishing poetry under her original name. She lives in Eugene, Oregon.