Four

by Tara Caribou

“Wherever there is number, there is beauty.” — Proclus, Greek Philosopher

Four. Four seasons. Four elements. Four phases of the moon. Four is the number of humanity in the physical realms and represents the now. It is a foundation in calmness and being grounded.

Within these pages you will discover fresh perspectives on love in its many forms. You will see the earth through the eyes of nature. You will feel the despair, the horror, of dark depression. You will feel the green tendrils of new love. Inside you may even experience what four can be within your own self.

The hope is that by the time you have finished, you will have viewed the soul of humanity, by the lens of nature, from a different angle.

183 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2020

About the author

poetry & short story author
artist & lover
publisher & editor

TARA CARIBOU is a crunchy neo-hippie who flourishes in the wilds of rural Iowa. Wrestling with OCD-related depression, persistent repetition of thoughts, and constant analysis, she allows her love of nature to drive her inspiration and peace. She has several full-length books of poetry and art, as well as several short stories in various anthologies. You can find her writing and creating from the heart barefoot in the wide open fields. Read more of her work on her website.

Reviews

[River Dixon]

This is one of those books that I struggle to write a review for. I'm not under any disillusion that I am a "book reviewer." I know that I'm not. I rarely have much to say about a book. Either I like it or I don't. Fairly simple. But this collection of poetry and art from Tara Caribou really deserves more than I am able to come up with. Tara writes in a way that appeals to me on a very personal level. I can wholly relate to so much of what she says. There have even been moments when reading her, that I felt that maybe in an alternate timeline, she is actually the female equivalent of myself (Or maybe I'm the male equivalent of her, I don't know how it works). Weird thing to say, I know, but that's how much I can relate to and connect with her words. Her style is not overly flowery, which I appreciate greatly, but flows with a rawness that just as often stings as it makes you smile. There is an honesty that shines through and you know that this author is real; her words are real, and that makes all the difference.

[Chris Hall]

Four

This wonderful collection of poetry and photography is presented within a top quality paperback book.

The pages are filled with raw emotion, visceral and poignant, exploring deep fears, fantasies and longings, interspersed with beautiful evocations of the natural world. Within each of the four sections into which the book is divided, the reader finds complementary and contrasting pieces, which explore the emotions from many different angles. Poems to make you smile and poems which wrench the heart and soul.

A collection to be savoured slowly. Highly recommended!

[Candice Daquin]

When has been more necessary than 2020 and early 2021 that we have needed beauty?
Stuck in sterile homes, we do the best we can. Nonetheless we stagnate a little, because we are meant to be alive, breathing, feeling creatures of the wind.
For most of us, we’ve never been indoors so much. For some, who reside in the unparalleled beauty points throughout the globe, they have been our divination to the lost world.
Tara Caribou author of Four (4) Poety & Art (Published by Raw Earth Ink (late 2020) has long been that paragon, that horse whisperer of beauty and the observation and offering of it.
As well as an accomplished photographer in her own right, Caribou is founder of Raw Earth Ink, an indie micro publishing house based in Alaska, publishing some of the hottest talent out there.
Consequently you would not be wrong to assume Caribou has little time to devote to her own abilities as a poetess, but there you would be wrong. With incredible self-control and discipline, Caribou has been blogging, building a reputation for her young dynamic company and writing exquisitely, all while running another business and producing some of the best poetry and art books I’ve seen in recent years.
Because I know this, I cannot be surprised at what Caribou achieves, she is a very quiet powerhouse of determining and mastery. She never does anything half-measure, she is a true old-school perfectionist and she happens to have the one thing few of us possess. Really good taste. From her logo to the choices she makes about whom to publish, and what project to embark on.
Why this matters so much, is related to the initial success of her second poetry volume. If you are going to publish something about the four seasons, life, the outdoors, you want it to be in some way, reflective of the indescribable beauty of the outdoors. At the same time you have the safe space to write your heart out and not apologize for doing so;
“a hundred crumpled pages / glimpses of who I really am / for I am / alone.” (Filaments of Ink)
Using her own artwork, photography and uncanny design skills, Caribou has accomplished her goal. I’m inclined to leave it at that, but it’s really worth mentioning this is no easy feat, for the greater percentage of books I read are middling in design, occasionally very disappointing and never possess that wow factor.
From the moment I received my excitedly purchased copy of Four (4) I saw what Caribou had accomplished. She’s brought the outside inside for us all;
“Without Pain I’d find no ultimate balance / for this my jaded soul.” (Lessons in Pain)
Four (4) is like a beautiful day and a sonorous night. The book possesses everything almost effortlessly. Her cover is thick and gleaming, the artwork sumptuous and dreamy. The colors vivid and reflective of a perfect day. This is both a classic design and modern enough to be appreciated by all and cherished for the loveliness of her wrappings.
Inside we find even more delight. Four (4) is so well thought through, again no surprise there, as I know Caribou’s prodigious work ethic, but the care and attention to every little thing really sets Four (4) apart from other small press books. I think this little wonder, is perhaps the best calling card Caribou’s company can have, because if you wanted your book to be as gorgeous as this, you’d need look no further for a publisher.
Tara Caribou is one of my most enjoyed poets. She writes a lot, she works hard at her craft, but she doesn’t hide her emotions behind theory and method, she’s very much in the real world. It is this bravery to reveal and knowledge of the value of deep observation and consideration in writing, that makes it so easy to revel in Caribou’s written work. At the same time, she is not convoluted, she is not pretentious, she is a writers writer, she writes about what we all at some time or another, consider and want to understand better;
“Who am I really? / Can somebody tell me? / It’s dark in here / Smoke and screams / Is that me?” (No Escape)
If you are familiar with Caribou’s work you will also know her for her passion. Generally I run a mile from writers who ‘write out sex’ because invariably they leave me embarrassed or disgusted with their renderings. But there are those whose sheer voracity of unsated passion, lends them the quill for writing on intimacy and doing it well, usually because they know what to reveal and what not to and how. Those writers? I definitely read;
“I’m trying to hide all my inside parts / the real parts / the something found beneath ribs and sinew / for it’s deep inside I hide all the truth.”
The four sections of seasons are reflected in mouthwatering chapters, with the really lovely (and original) idea of creating ‘considerations’ for each season. In Spring, we have time and light and dark, echoed through Dawn, Midday, Dusk and Night. Within that section, the poems speak of these themes. Summer possesses variations on the theme of love, Autumn speaks to the elements, Winter of the moon. I don’t want to say too much, because that’s the delight of unwrapping this gem, but you get the drift, and can appreciate alongside me, the tremendous thought gone into this collection.
“I made my own / powerful lines spoken with weak knuckles / or perhaps just a weakness for love / well, weakness is weakness / but I never claimed to be strong.” (What I Meant to Say Was)
Even without her prodigious talent and drive, Caribou’s eye for beauty is unparalleled and it is this, her opus magnus, she lends us, in our darkest times. Four (4) couldn’t be more timely, it couldn’t be more relevant, and it honestly, truly, could not be a lovelier book of poetry and art. I am so impressed, it only makes me prouder of Caribou’s achievement as an artist in the world of publishing, where we all think we can never be surprised again … how wrong we are.
If you love the beauty of our world, I recommend Four (4) to you as the best of what you may currently be missing. If you are a romantic at heart and have no outlet, Four (4) is your new friend. Caribou’s willingness to plunge into the truth of what makes us human and the best things about it, are uncanny and she’s not one to shy away on paper from exposing realities we all can benefit from.
“And I’m lying here / Wondering / About space and time / And where I fit.” (Space Between)
Ironically, it is Caribou with her vision, that helps US understand where we fit in this world. Her pure rendering of what possesses our core, is hard to reject. I believe she actually has known her place in this universe a very long time and that is why she is so wise and aware. But even sages should have their doubts, that’s what makes them relatable and ultimately, human;
“Hold my hand / let’s move together forever / always forward / into the light.” (Echoes)
People say the quieter people are the ones we have to watch for, and they’re not wrong. While the rest of the world bleats loudly, Caribou is hard at work, producing and conceptualizing publications that will stand the test of time and give us something truly worthy to sink our teeth into. That’s no easy endeavor and she and Raw Earth Ink are among the most impressive creatives I have met.
“I pluck a few motes without effort / they weigh heavily in my palm so / I relax my fingers and blow them out / little galaxies all their own.” (Far-Flung Galaxies)

[Cassa Bassa]

This collection took me into a life of a woman's beauty, love for nature, inner most thoughts, struggles, heartaches, resilience, you name it. This is so intimately relatable on so many levels. I bet whoever read this would say ' I felt the same at times'. You made my thoughts alive in poetry stretching out on paper. Thank you Tara!