Gregory Orr grew up in the Hudson Valley, where traumatic childhood incidents forged writing as an act of survival. The author of numerous poetry collections, including The Last Love Poem I Will Ever Write, he is a master of short, lyric free verse. He wrote the memoir The Blessing and three books of essays, including Poetry as Survival. A professor of English at the University of Virginia since 1975, Orr lives in Charlottesville with his wife and daughters.

Photograph by Trisha Orr.

Two Poems

by Gregory Orr

“When I was alive . . . Eurydice”


When I was alive—only glimpses,
moments of bliss but
always the body resisting,
refusing to let
the soul go.

People on couch
To continue reading please sign in.
Join for free
Already a reader? Sign In