Wolf: An Epic and Other Poems

by Z.M. Wise

All is calm in the utopian forest of Gaia. Father Lycaonius and the pack that reside there want nothing but peace, tranquility, and camaraderie. When word has it that the cougars of the mountains nearby plan to ambush the pack and eradicate everything in sight, those dreams result in a rude awakening. The question is, will the pack fight as one to defend their Mother Earth, or will they cower before the cats and face a bestial genocide? The author's spirit animal bares all teeth in this epic, along with ten other wolf/werewolf-themed poems. As always, Mr. Wise proudly proclaims, "POETRY LIVES!!"

Genres: Poetry

92 pages, Paperback

First published January 23, 2015

About the author

Z.M. Wise is a proud Illinois native from Chicago, poet, essayist, occasional playwright, seldom screenwriter, co-editor and arts activist, writing since his first steps as a child. He was selected to be a performer in the Word Around Town Tour in 2013, a Houston citywide tour. He is co-owner and co-editor of Transcendent Zero Press, an independent publishing house for poetry that produces an international quarterly journal known as Harbinger Asylum. The journal was nominated Best Poetry Journal in 2013 at the National Poetry Awards. He has published five books of poetry, including: Take Me Back, Kingswood Clock! (MavLit Press, 2013), The Wandering Poet (Transcendent Zero Press, 2014), Wolf: An Epic & Other Poems (Weasel Press, 2015), Cuentos de Amor (Red Ferret Press, 2015), and Kosmish and the Horned Ones (Weasel Press, 2018). Other than these five books, his poems, essays, and book reviews have been published in various journals, magazines, and anthologies. The motto that keeps him going: POETRY LIVES! Mr. Wise will make sure to spread that message and the love of poetry, making sure it remains vibrant for the rest of his days and beyond. Besides poetry and other forms of writing, his other passions/interests include professional voice acting, singing/lyricism/songwriting, playing a few instruments, fitness, and reading.

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

There aren't many epic poems about nowadays, so I enjoyed this strange saga of wolves, werewolves and cougars. Touches of The Jungle Book are inevitable, but there are modern twists and unexpected stabs of humour. I enjoyed this part more than the standalone wolf poems, though these are perfectly competent and satisfying.