Wait for Me: And Other Poems About the Irritations and Consolations of a Long Marriage

by Judith Viorst

The legendary author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day turns her attention to marriage in a collection of poems that explores the peeves and pleasures of a long marriage...and what lies beyond.

Judith Viorst began publishing poetry in the 1960s in New York magazine, and since then, her works have celebrated life’s milestones with wit and poignancy. Married for fifty-five years, she now casts a rueful, experienced eye on the amusing annoyances and deep satisfactions of a long marriage...and what a couple must inevitably confront together.

Enriched by Stephen Campbell’s charming, full-color illustrations, this touching, wise, and funny book will surely bring a smile of recognition to anyone who has been in a long marriage. A wonderful gift for a parent, a grandparent, or your own eternal someone, Wait for Me is a celebration of the lasting power of married love.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Marriage, Nonfiction

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Judith Viorst is an American writer, newspaper journalist, and psychoanalysis researcher. She is known for her humorous observational poetry and for her children's literature. This includes The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (about the death of a pet) and the Alexander series of short picture books, which includes Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972), which has sold over two million copies.
Viorst is a 1952 graduate of the Newark College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. In 1968, she signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War. In the latter part of the 1970s, after two decades of writing for children and adults, Viorst turned to the study of Freudian psychology. In 1981, she became a research graduate at Washington Psychoanalytic Institute after six years of study.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have been married for a while or are looking for a gift for someone who is, you may appreciate what you see captured in these poems. Some of the poems are funny. Some of them are written from the idea that familiarity breeds comtempt while others reflect the comfort of a long-standing relationship. One of my favorites is entitled Nice and tells of being fortunate enough to be with someone who is also happily behind in technology and is expanding in other ways with you. The book is a gift-sized hardback with plenty of illustrations. (I received this in a goodreads giveaway.)

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read about the day-to-day things found in a marriage. I especially liked the poem entitled "And a Few More Issues" that is subtitled "Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut and a woman who can't sleep with the window open." (Quote by George Bernard Shaw)

"So how can it possibly be
That we've lasted this long
When it is so hard to agree on who's right
And who's wrong?"

So many of these poems are right on target! I enjoyed this short collection.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection very much, although I have only been married for 19 years. I liked the inclusion of quotes before each section that spoke to the section's focus. It's just nice to hear from people who have had long marriages who love their spouse even while acknowledging the many frustrations that come with a long-term significant relationship like marriage.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short. Tender. Bothersome. Real.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this little gem of a book sometime ago. I just forgot to review it.

I found this one to be truthful. Even if we don’t want to admit it. Some of the poems are very sweet and others are brutal. My favorite poem, and it was difficult to pick just one for me, is the namesake of the book “Wait for Me”. The quote beginning the poem (they all have one) says it all - She “made it very clear to him that she would see him again in Heaven someday. . . . But he was worried about how he would find her. So they made a plan to meet in the front left corner of Heaven.” - Jerome Groopman, “Lives Less Ordinary,” The New Yorker.

[Arlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the poetry. Unfortunately, the pictures were kind of awful - they featured a generic young cartoon couple, which was a bit jarring (and also just irritating) as the book is about being old together.

[Carol Stephan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small book can be enjoyed in one sitting or savored a bit at a time. The author has been married for 55 years. I think anyone who has been in a long marriage would smile or nod in agreement over many of the verses. The verses begin with entertaining quotes from others tied to the subject of the verse and the illustration work is very good. I'd recommend this as a sweet gift to a couple on a milestone anniversary.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the poems, though I thought the illustrations seemed amateurish. I always thought of Viorst as a children's-book author, and she is, but she excels in poetry and other types of writing as well.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short poems looking at marriage are interesting and sometimes amusing. The longer musing about where one partner would find the other who died first is somewhat sad and understandably not a subject most people want to discuss. Definitely bittersweet.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my Amazon review:
https://www.amazon.com/review/R8GYZNR...

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amusing and sometimes surprisingly touching book of poetry about long-term marriage. I will be looking for more of her poetry.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of poems about the joys and challenges of a long marriage. Jane and I saw ourselves on just about every page.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

utterly charming and spot on!