Green Ash, Red Maple, Black Gum

by Michael Waters

Michael Waters writes vivid, sensual poems that fuse our longings in this world with the human urge to glimpse whatever lies beyond. Waters' muse is Walt Whitman and, like much of Whitman's work, his poems challenge us to abide one another and embrace humanity's imperfections. Viewing curiosities in a medical museum, Waters "How then can I forget/ these jars stuffed with the invisible/ masses who touch us in our dreams, who steep/ our yearnings in their milky waters?" These generous poems, crafted syllable by syllable, speak to love and loss, our foibles and shortcomings, and the possibility of aesthetic and spiritual transcendence.

Genres: Poetry

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name on GR

Reviews

[Elizabeth StClair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this collection of poems a four or higher..... had certain things been different. While the writing was lovely, there were words, or rather images and ideas conjured up that don't exactly fit my way of thinking. I for one like my poetry PG 13 at most..... R for nakedness or sex.... not so much. So that's the reason for only 3 stars. When the poems were more mild, I loved them. Wonderful work, I'm just more conservative in my reading.