The Warrior's Stance

Laura Jeanne Morefield
nee Costales
1978

Having received scans of certain pages from Laura's journals and having received typed versions (thank you, Kathryne Kieser) of what had been identified as poetry therein, I have set about comparing poems to be added to my late daughter's chapbook, The Warrior's Stance, to their original handwritten versions.

Laura's handwriting was always, at the least, shall we say, quirky. Due to chemotherapy's neuropathy it grew even more challenging to decipher as time went by. She wrote every day until the month before she died. Her final poem, "Me Again," was dated June 6, 2011. She died July 17. 

As editor of The Warrior's Stance -- Laura gave me the assignment -- I have done all humanly possible to make certain that the later poems extracted from her journals are as accurate as can be. Laura first wrote all her poems longhand and then put them through a meticulous process prior to sharing them with me and a couple of close friends. Because many of these late poems were never put through the usual process, I wrestled with the very idea of publishing them; however, some were added to what I had believed was the finished chapbook. 

Ready for the press, The Warrior's Stance will be published soon. When that process is completed, and I hold the first copy in my hand, I will let you know. 

Happy new year.

Charlene Baldridge