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Diana Rose Lynch is a language teacher who teaches writing at Boston University. The Ekphrastic Review published her first poem in 2020. Her poetry was featured at Dogtown On My Mind: Reading and Discussion Celebrating Dogtown in the Writer’s Imagination Today. Discover Gloucester published two of her Dogtown poems in celebration of Gloucester 400. In addition, 400 Stories Project published her poetry in 2023, celebrating the unique history of the city of Gloucester. Her poem Unwanted Tour Guide was recently published in The Somerville Times in 2025 and was also awarded first prize at the Verse Visual Art Festival in Ipswich in 2025. This same poem also appeared at the Haverhill Art Walk in 2025. When she is not teaching, she writes poetry, gardens, and hikes. She lives in Gloucester, MA and is currently working on a collection of poetry.

About the Poem

Last July, I opened an email from my friend Jennifer Martelli. After reading the message, I looked at the sky, closed my eyes and saw this poem. I often visualize my work, I have accepted the fact that I am a viviparous writer, I am not one to force words into being. This makes writing easy for me, in some regards.

This poem was written for Jennifer Martelli, my friend, mentor, generous soul, upon hearing about her diagnosis. She left us in September 2025 to carry on with our words, knowing that she will always be with us in spirit when we gather.

Queen Anne’s Lace

By Diana Rose Lynch-written for Jennifer Martelli-Revere girl, poet, mentor, friend.

is the poet of the battlefields
seeded wild,
young roots

Diana Rose Lynch

speaks blood, speaks loss
through lace filled mouths
snapped stems
black dot, only one eye, sees all.

The winds sear,
torch her leaves
strip her
of her tender knitted smile.

The sickle comes down
nubs of brittle brush,
what used to be
stares up
at the empty lemon sky.

— Diana Rose Lynch

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dougholder@post.harvard.edu