In Mad Love and War

I'm still reading this wonderful book of poems. I've had to turn off the reader in me that gets focused on a "finish line" and make a commitment that I'll keep this book until the day it's due back at the library. I've had to remind myself that one doesn't read poetry. One savors it. One reads a poem, allows it to roll around in the mind and the memory, lets it touch the heart, and gives it time to settle in. Then, sometimes, one reads it again. And sometimes, yet a third time. This is a delightful collection of poems. I love how personal they are. I love how Harjo, in "speaking" to a particular person who has touched her life (Billie Holiday, Richard Hugo), she touches on universal longing, love, humor, and --- well, just what it is to show more be deeply touched by someone.

Completed it now. I love the final poem in the collection, "Eagle Poem." Other favorites were "A Winning Hand" and "Summer Night." I haven't read poetry much in recent years (decades), and this was an excellent re-introduction for me. show less

I am much more into novels and short stories then poetry. So I hope it means something when I say how much I enjoyed this poetry, and how profoundly moved I felt at times. True, some of its language can be a bit hokey and borderline cliche, but these bits are few and far between. And again, yes, I'm sure not being a Native American means I'm missing some of the issues/images/etc/whatever being presented here...but in all fairness, I think that just speaks to the transcendent nature of the work and how potentially far reaching its lyricism and literary energy can reach.

1990 - first book in my 60 years of reading project