GRIEF AND HER THREE SISTERS

This collection of poetry explores love, loss, and Earth’s natural cycles.

“In a world that seems quite short of love right now I hope that this book eases some of the heartaches,” remarks Lovelady in his author’s note. Divided into four parts, the volume features threads of compassion and hope in its approach to both world affairs and personal struggles. Many of the poems found here strive to understand grief. In the title piece, the poet personifies “Memory,” “Vain Hope,” and “False Pride” to examine how they interact with and influence their sister, Grief. Lovelady regularly draws on the natural world to understand life’s major transitions. For instance, in the opening poem, “The Great River Taketh,” the poet observes: “In death there is always life. / In a seed there is hope for life.” On other occasions, Lovelady ponders the stars (“Twinkling bodies boldly pinned / to flowing black velvet dresses”); the “expected chaos” of current events; and even the process of writing itself. The poet takes seemingly mundane tasks, such as mowing a lawn, and transforms them into poignant meditations on life. In “Mowing as Dharma,” Lovelady writes: “My lawnmower does not care. / It mows them all over with impunity. / Their Zombie seedlings will simply grow back / from headless stumps.” Such lines offer thought-provoking commentary on natural cycles of loss and renewal. The poet’s evocative use of language serves to tenderly immerse readers in nature: “Hear the quiet sighs of sycamore souls. / A friendly breeze tousles / their slender white branches, / festooned with dying leaves.” There are rare occasions when Lovelady relies on clichés, but this does not significantly detract from the quality of the writing: “We cuddled like two spoons in the drawer.” In this collection, the poet offers a refreshingly unique perspective on what it means to be human in an increasingly inscrutable world. Readers will return again and again for the sense of respite and hope that fills these pages.

Compassionate, wistfully observant, and thoughtful poems.