Have you read any delicious poems lately? You can recognize them by their crisp images and yummy words.
Similar to vitamins and minerals needed to replenish weary body cells, poems can replace junk-food thoughts with revitalizing nutrients for the body, mind, and soul.
A problem comes, however, in trying to find appealing poems to devour. Many of them go on and on with nothing new to give those of us who want more than empty calories or rehashed left-overs. Some poems make us turn up our noses at their saccharine sweetness while others seem gross enough to make us gag!
Poems need to be smooth, edible, and not stick in the throat.
Poems need texture, salt, spice, and a colorful garnish.
Poems need to be more melodic than a dinner bell.
As a lifelong lover of poetry, I’ve had the joy of sampling poems with enough variety for almost any taste. A couple of years ago, I wrote about some of those recommendations in “Favorite poets, poetry, and why.” Since then, new works have come to my attention as review copies arrived from poetry book publishers. I’ve undoubtedly missed many, but the following links can help to expand your versatile menu for a healthy, creative life of poetry:
Poetry by some of my favorite poets:
The Life and Death of Poetry: poems by Kelly Cherry
Idiot Psalms by Scott Cairns
Songs from a Wild Place and Estuaries by Jason Kirkey
Eyes Have I That See by priest-poet John Julian
Remembering Softly: a life in poems by Catherine Lawton
Anthologies with works by many poets:
St. Peter’s B-List, anthology
The Paraclete Poetry Anthology
The Seashell Anthology of Great Poetry
Reviews by poet-author Mary Harwell Sayler
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