Patricia Barber

But there's reason to believe 

That spring won't arrive
There's reason to fear 

That when you left, I died
When I look in the mirror,
My face is too white
When I check for a pulse,
I'm afraid of the quiet

(From her 1998 song, "Winter," which I heard her perform last night in a small jazz club in Chicago.  It was the first time I had heard her perform live.  I sincerely hope it will not be the last.)