Doe

by Susan Baller-Shepard

From the title, Doe, Susan Baller-Shepard's metaphor of a female deer moves in and out of this collection, appearing in the periphery, then moving on as Baller-Shepard mines memories of life on the prairie. From a variety of voices, Doe presents interior and exterior landscapes, from caged zebra finches or a sick child, to a family farm sale, or the sound of owls at night. With the step-step, pause, step-step cadence of a deer's approach, Baller-Shepard's poetry collection advances from the personal to the mystical. Her poems advance with that step-step, pause, step-step noting other creatures in the woods (women, men, children, bees, mayflies, pheasants) and bigger concerns beyond the woods (the Last Holocaust Act of WWII, religion, wars, citizenship, God), moving deftly between the natural and spiritual world like a deer moves along the borders where the natural world and the manicured world meet.

102 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 2019

Reviews

[Teresa Burns Gunther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baller-Shepard's debut poetry collection takes readers on an emotional ride through the lives of women, the ferocity of mother love and grandmother memories; she captures the vulnerabilities inherent in living with eyes wide open, as well as the struggle and weight of unavoidable loss. Her poems are captivating, musical, and evocative. Reading these poems I feel the kinship of womenkind and know I am in good hands. I keep it on my desk and read from it when I need to feel the company of good, strong women.