Meena Alexander was an Indian American poet and writer. She was born in 1951 and passed away in November 2018. Her novels include Nampally Road and Manhattan Music. She also wrote a memoir entitled Fault Lines. Publishers Weekly chose it as one of the best books of 1993.
โMuseโ by Meena Alexander is a poem about the poetโs muse or source of inspiration. The poet recalls meeting and being positively influenced by a girl in her youth.ย
I was young when you came to me.
Each thing rings its turn,
you sang in my ear, a slip of a thing
Alexander’s โDiagnosisโ captures the shock of facing terminal illness and the quest for meaning amidst life’s fragility.