CLOUDS ON THE GROUND

Williams presents a book of poetry about the fragility of existence.

These poems center on the topics of nature, the human condition, and the passage of time, and are organized by season, starting in fall. Williams notes in an introduction that her work was inspired by daydreams about nature that she had while struggling with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Several poems, though, tackle more personal matters; in one untitled work, the speaker seeks “somewhere quiet to walk / by myself, / with no memories attached”; in the titular poem, the sleepless speaker shares that “I need a place / away from here, // to /escape // the restless waiting.” Another narrator contemplates the role of poetry in their life, but in another poem, language seems insufficient; another speaker vacillates between frustration (“This is not what I chose”) and acceptance (“I cannot change / what is fixed – // I’ll just sit / and listen / to the wind”). Time shifts and morphs, but throughout, speakers find solace in nature, describing tree branches interact with wind or how “Wind floats through, // quiet / and drifting, // like a ghost.” Overall, Williams’ poetry is simple, stark, and often short, making this book an enjoyable read for poetry lovers at all levels. The line breaks lend a breathy quality to the writing in lines such as “I want to write this way and / let my words / hang / in the air.” There’s a dreamy, ethereal manner to the poems that mirrors the book’s title. However, some are more descriptive than they are insightful: “The leaves fell off the trees / yesterday / None of them are left / The wind took them.” Grayscale nature illustrations by Clark, featuring soft lines and shading, enhance the atmospheric feel and complement the poems’ serenity.

A reflective collection that effectively balances themes of hardship and hope.