Illustration: Emily, Almost

"Emily, Almost" by Bill Sienkiewicz, 1990

This poem is an excerpt from issue four of the anthology comic A1.  A1 was an award-winning series that showcased creator-owned work by some of the best graphic novelists.

I think that this poem is a superb demonstration of how illustration can elevate good writing to excellent art.  As poetry, "Emily, Almost" doesn’t stand out from scores of other poems on the theme of unrequited love.  Sienkiewicz’s beautifully atmospheric art lends the art a whole new power.