Some Lamb

by Stan Rice

Early book of poems by Stan Rice

Genres: Poetry

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Stan Rice was an American poet and artist and husband of writer Anne Rice (married 1961). He was a Professor of English and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University and retired as Chairman of the Creative Writing Department in 1989. Stan Rice died from brain cancer and was survived by his wife, novelist Anne Rice and son, author Christopher Rice.

It was the death of the couple's first child, daughter Michele (1966-1972), at age six of leukemia, which sparked Stan Rice's becoming a published author. His first book of poems, based on her illness and death, was titled Some Lamb, and was published in 1975. He encouraged his wife to quit her work as a waitress, cook and theater usher in order to devote herself full time to her writing.

Both encouraged their son, Christopher, to write as well.

He is entombed in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.

Reviews

[M.W.P.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poems in this collection are a tribute to the poet's daughter, who died of leukemia at the age of 6 (pictured on the cover).

Because she calls
I go into the darkened kitchen
and pour her a glass of milk.
The earth has stopped turning.
A silver light comes through the leaves
of the apple tree. The apples are deathly green.
I hold the glass up to the window
to tell how full it is. White
the milk is . . . white in the darkness.
I open her door.
She is sitting up.
Her eyes cannot believe I have come.
The white sheets around her put her
in the calyx of a flower.
I hand her the milk. She drinks.
I go back to my bed and lie down
and watch the red lights on the radio towers
pulsing . . pulsing.

- Bringing Her a Glass of Milk, pg. 11

* * *

1.
Looking up at the stars, connecting the dots.
From the daydroom
A ghosthole TV illuminates
Kerouac's fine poem
"The Thrashing Doves."
The nurses are playing cards . . . laughing.
It's all very simple.
Thought moves in meat.
Meat moves in thought.
We see puzzles
Where only stars are.

2.
In the sun the muscles are gardens
Of creamed-style corn
And lightning bolts.
In this hospital courtyard
Ditto. Stars
Pinpoint the vast gristle
And nothing of WHAT.
If we were statues we would fear earthquakes.
Since we aren't we fear everything.

- In the Hospital Courtyard, pg. 26

* * *

The voice is in the dirt.
It wasn't for what she did
It was for what she suffered.
Which is not my hurt.
So I write this. So I
Try to give birth. Me,
A man.

- Trying to Feel It, pg. 33

* * *

That lamb
In skin
The black wink closes
On the mnaah
So dead
The film, the flesh
I guess
Is somewhere
Wed with sleep
In the bed
Armless headless pillow
Hold me
My pet lamb is leaping
Up! up! innocence is meat
Is what we live to eat
Straight up in bed
Twelve months
The night is fed
With shapes which fit so tight
This vest of ribs
We scream we beg
Time stop it! stop it!
And yet
That was
Some lamb
Some lamb
Says Death.

- Some Lamb, pg. 43

* * *

I woke in the Land of Liars
because I lied. I woke by mildew
& heard KJAZ come on
in the front. Out I walked naked,
thinking: why did they throw
the walrus into the swimmingpool
in my dream, what have I done?
Back in the cold bed
down I went in the head. A Beast
or Guilt or Bear
stood up therein in wrath.
No matter the hiding place
he smelled my smell, he dripped.
Ah, it crawled on my arm like imagination,
that luster of ants.

- A Dream, pg. 54

[Destiny Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this Beautiful Art of Poetry has seriously made me feel very much in love and obsessively connected with Poetry. This books is very heartfelt, warm, loving, and touching dealing not only with Grief and loss of Anne and Stan Rice’s beautiful baby girl Michele who passed away unfortunately at 5 years old due to having Leukemia and talks about her battling Leukemia it deeply goes in depth of the terminal illness Michele had and even tied to how Anne and Stan both loved eachother and still had love and intimacy with eachother even in the hardest of hardships after losing their daughter and what they’ve experienced dealing with Grief in the hands of Leukemia that took their daughter very young I loved every bit of Some Lamb and now have a Favorite Poet, who happens to be Stan Rice. Very heartfelt and moving from Stan’s Point of View and Words deeply inspiring and uplifting 💛💛💛💛💛 so happy I read this and will be reading more by Stan Rice.