 |
of sauroids swimming that calm stretch of ocean
called Sargasso Sea"
In this collection, nature's secret intimacies receive illumination from unique sources: birds, rocks, rivers, and even modernity. "White Rock Branch" guides readers into transcendental meditation with its confirmation that a return to nature holds unspeakable, transformative power. "Reverie" opens with the single statement, "I am alone at midnight," a humble yet authoritative confession that segues into a dream state offering a return to romance. "Prelude to Flight" celebrates nature with its portrayal of birds, and the repetition of r-sounds in words like "red," "rift," and "frenetic" engage readers in a sonic journey that combines with images of birds to create a fully sensual experience. Because of its meter and rhyme schemes, "Spring" waxes reminiscent of Emily Dickinson's work, while poems like "Apple Harvest" break traditional conventions and rely more on imagery than rhyme, meter, or sound.
By the collection's end, readers find themselves tightrope walking the tenuous wire separating humankind and nature, rural settings and urban sprawl, history and the present. The work invokes poetic greats like Robert Lowell, along with history to establish an educated yet conversational tone that invites readers into wild landscapes. Other readers will find this collection filled with reverent, prayer-like moments that portray nature like an icon placed in the most visible corner of one's home. With Muir-like grace, this collection reminds readers that nature and the protection of it should be at the forefront of everyone's consciousness, as it reminds readers "Like weeds cut for the sap to run, / our hopes fall down at a thrusting scythe" if humanity does not do its part. Readers of historical poetry will appreciate this collection for its exploration of philosophy and mythology, while readers of nature writing will appreciate the collection's environmental advocacy.