This past week we lost two beloved poets, Brigit Pegeen Kelly (b. 1951) and Lucia Perillo (b. 1958). Over the decades both these writers have come to mean a lot to us at NER. Brigit Kelly’s poetry appeared in our pages frequently, as early as 1986 and as recently as 2014. Lucia Perillo’s most recent contribution was the title poem from her new collection, Time Will Clean the Carcass Bones, just last year. We also published her fiction and poetry beginning in 1997.

We’d like to acknowledge their enormous influence and inspiration with these poems.

“The Dragon” (35.3) by Brigit Pegeen Kelly, was first published in NER in 2002 and then reprinted in C. Dale Young’s last issue as poetry editor.

“Time Will Clean the Carcass Bones,” by Lucia Perillo, from NER 36.3.