Gregory Orr

Gregory Orr (1947-  ) grew up in the rural Hudson Valley. At the age of twelve, he was responsible for the death of a younger brother in a hunting accident, an event that powerfully influenced his ideas about trauma, silence and poetry. His mother died suddenly a few years later. These and other events propelled him toward a writing life.  He got his MFA from Columbia University and taught for many years at the University of Virginia. He has published many volumes of poetry.

Grief will come to you

grip and cling all you want,

it makes no difference

Catastrophe? It's just waiting to happen.

Loss? You can be certain of it.

Flow and swirl of the world,

Carried along as if by a dark current.

All you can do is keep swimming;

all you can do is keep singing.

— Gregory Orr