Longing at Least Is Constant

Kim Fahner is the author of You Must Imagine the Cold Here.

The risqué cover is the first hint that this is going to be a rather
sexually oriented volume of poems. The thematic pattern that unites the
book’s three sections—Longing, At Least, and Is
Constant—emphasizes the sheer frustration that comes from dealing with
longing and desire head-on.

In “Speechless,” Payne asserts that the most ancient language,
older than anything written or spoken, is based on the rhythms of the
physical body. Her poems embody the struggle between love and lust, and
speak frankly of lesbian and bisexual lifestyles. Along with the
poet’s reflections on the nature of longing, desire, love, and lust,
there is proof that human sexuality can be fluid in nature.

In writing openly about bisexuality, Payne ends up pointing the reader
toward the conclusion or truth that any kind of self-acceptance in life
has the effect of strengthening a person. At the same time, Payne seems
to be—as we all are—searching and struggling for the definition of
love rather than lust; and that is an honorable pursuit in these jaded
times.