Synkroniciti is proud to welcome New York poet and writer Nancy Avery Dafoe. Her poem “On the Ways My Son Was Vulnerable From a Silent Genetic Disorder” is a finalist in our “Vulnerable” Poetry Contest. Nancy shares her grief at her son’s death due to undetected Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects connective tissue supporting organs and other structures in the body. Her son, Blaise, “entered a room larger than life/ itself until that silent code/ written into the fabric of his being/ took its toll on his too big of a heart” There is a wonder in the piece–a thankfulness at the miracle that he existed and that his life was one of grace–which makes the poem transcendent. Nancy’s poetry glides with graceful musicality and gentle meter, the enjambment of the final stanza pulling us into the inevitable loss and final silence of death. Her elegance and poise are heart-breaking and reflect the spirit of her son. Artist Matt Cincotta created a tribute to Blaise which graces this tribute poem–we are grateful for his contribution and the impact his art has to amplify and augment Nancy’s voice.
Read “On the Ways My Son Was Vulnerable From a Silent Genetic Disorder” in Synkroniciti’s “Vulnerable” issue, available for pre-order here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Poet/author/educator Nancy Avery Dafoe has 14 published books. Her most recent ones include a poetry collection focused on man’s responsibility to the Earth, When Mine Canaries Stop Singing (FLP, June 2024); a memoir, Unstuck in Time (PWP, 2021); and a literary novel Socrates is Dead Again (PWP, 2022). Unstuck in Time won the Director’s Choice Award for 2023 from Human Relations Indie Books. Her poetry has won national awards, including the William Faulkner/Wisdom Award (2016). Her prose has also won national awards, including the New Century Writer contest and gold award from the Human Relations Indie Books. She lives in Homer, New York on Little York Lake with her husband Daniel and dog Lincoln. Her books web address is nancydafoebooks.com.