SPIRIT OF NATURE VERSUS TOTEM POLES Review

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(More customer reviews)The image of a cascading, sparkling waterfall on the cover of this first volume of 118 poems suggests the surprise and refreshment that readers will find within. The poems embrace an array of topics, like those streams of water cascading over the many rocks. They include the personal, as in "The Coffee's Brewed" and "Calico Cat's Exciting Christmas"; the political, as in "The Slaves Must Be Freed" and "Democracy: A Possibility"; the environmental, as in "Sold" and "Why So Abundant, Mother?"; the religious, as in "The Cross" and "Beyond The Grave"; the classical, as in "Ancient Greeks' Lament"; the contemporary, as in "The Refugees," "Collateral Damage" and "Too Big To Fail?"; as well as the perennial celebration of human love, as in "They Must Be In Love" and "Love's Joy."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), among other readers, will discover an ally in this poet and a resource in her book of poems with its unifying theme of reverence for life, or "Spirit of Nature," and respect for our entire planetary home. The opening line of the first poem asks rhetorically, "In all the world is it only we who have souls...?" The remainder of the book forms a reply, affirming that we humans share intrinsic worth with "All of nature...permeated/ With a perfection beyond description." and celebrating "The jewel inside us all."
A second, complementary theme is protest against "Totem Poles," the poet's image for contemporary commercial and political idols and their associated exploitation of creation and oppression of creatures including our own species. She notes that "some beasts who can speak" fail to understand, or deny, the web of life and that we are "Enticed by well-dressed deception" as their policies and acions violate "Earth, Water, Air and Fire" together with plants, animals and humans who share our planet. She asks, "Whose God demands greed?" and exhorts "You leaders kneeling to false gods,/ Putting them above life/ And even your own souls" to "Remember where your roots are" and "If you want to risk someone's life,/ Let that life be your own."
Most of the poems fit on a single page--some as short as three or four lines but with the impact of a haiku: "Forgiveness is like a dunk/ In a crystal-clear lake/ On a blistering-hot day." and "If someone you love/ Is in hell/ Eventually you will jump in/ Because you are human." Or they resemble a koan: "Where would the Buddha have sat/ Being enlightened/ If there wasn't any tree?" and "If there wasn't any universe/ What would love do?" The longest pieces are two-page, whimsical but morally-pointed dialogues: between a teacher and a child in "If Money Were King," between a honeybee and a flower in "Usually Unperturbed Bee," between two sunflower seeds in "Which Way Is Up?" and between "The Census-Taker Hawk and the Lion."
The poet speaks indirectly to us as she apostrophizes a variety of animals and people that include her pet ("What is your secret, Camille,/ You dear old cat?"), farm animals ("If you had feelings,/ You would not live in a crate...."), wild animals ("If you had a soul,/ Your fur would not adorn/ The collars of their coats....", and even a larva ("Caterpillar, caterpillar,/ What keeps you going?"). People include the above-mentioned political and corporate "leaders kneeling to false gods," their petitioners ("You've been standing each day, my good man,/ Behind the palace door."), whistleblowers ("If only you had not done it,/ You wouldn't be imprisoned/ In the dingiest cell/ Of the worst jail in the country."), political activists ("You the compassionate, understanding souls,/ In jail for supporting the truth, not lies...."), and a goddess ("Aphrodite, child of the sea, why have you abandoned me?"). In the dialogue "Hand Kisser," the poet even speaks with humorous and touching familiarity (but in a respectful lower case) to the Author of Creation ("me: Ummm, God?/ God: Yeah?/ me: Yeah? Are you always this casual?/ God: Sometimes, but not always. I speak in all kinds of ways.") Sometimes the poet adopts the voice of others: a supercilious cat ("Under the Same Roof Catdog"), a small boat ("The Sea Can Get Rough"), a parched desert traveler ("Heaven's Rain"), and suffering Prometheus ("Ancient Greeks Transitioning").
The author includes in this book 23 photographs of birds, butterflies, flowers, trees, water and sky to accompany as many poems; but the small, black-and-white images hardly enhance her words. The eight-page "Introduction" explains her personal background, motives and schema for the book; but, unsurprisingly, while her poetry is poetic, her prose is prosaic. In the poems themselves, however, Lorraine Grzyb shares with us her personal experience that "Every day the sun pours its light into us./ We float like boats made of sunshine/ On streams of radiance." Read the poems first. Share her sunshine. Expect a five-star volume from this new poet next time.

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Spirit of Nature Versus Totem Poles evokes appreciation of the majesty of nature around us and takes a hard look at the diminishment of our humanity as all kingdoms of nature are losing ground, species of animals and plants are vanishing, and air, earth, and water are being progressively poisoned. This book offers hope that through the individuality each of us has achieved, together we can use our skills to recognize the unity of life on the planet, move forward into a new era of cooperation with nature, and respect and protect the life around us of which we are a part and upon which our humanity depends.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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