• The woodland bed I go toMy mother had filled with sweet woodruff—It formed a layer so thick our Lady catSlept in it, upheld by the stalks called bedstraw—Now that my mother bends to the ground no moreI have stripped it to bare dirt—my darkEarth, empty to the eye, rich as the grave. Gnarled roots of mayapple…

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  • How to define the wordyellow?Tart lemon that stingsyour mouth; shining sunthat blinds your eyes;deep blanket of daffodilsthat caresses your face.Yes, the yellow of petalthat defies early Apriland its cruelty. Wildand tamed flower, itscolor reminds usof the first lightof spring, the memorythat cannot be forgotten. Copyright © 2011 by Linda Nemec Foster. This poem was first…

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  • Eyelids are the final petals closing on this life. When I die, place crocuses on my eyes—they will guide me. I kneel down next to the crocuses, touch them gingerly as if they were puppies with pin teeth jumping excitedly in the firth breeze. At last the snow has left us, cleaned the earth for…

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  • For Day 2 of National Poetry Month, I give you Robert Graves’ “Babylon”: The child alone a poet is: Spring and Fairyland are his. Truth and Reason show but dim, And all’s poetry with him. Rhyme and music flow in plenty For the lad of one-and-twenty, But Spring for him is no more now Than…

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  • My favorite month after October, National Poetry Month gives me an excuse to overindulge in all of the poetry! I read even more than I normally do, and I try to write at least a few new poems instead of editing the life out of existing ones. I also love to share poems any way…

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  • Thank you very much to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the ARC of Toby Amidor’s new cookbook! Toby Amidor’s cookbook “Healthy Living High-Protein Cookbook” opens with a discussion on the benefits of a higher protein diet. I am not an expert by any means, and I really don’t know what kind of nutrient-focused food…

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  • Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC of Kelsey Barnard Clark’s inspiring cookbook “The Flavor of Fire!” Even before becoming a full-time vegetarian, I knew there had to be more to grilling than burgers, hot dogs, and chicken drumsticks. This book answers my questions, offering grilling recipes for familiar foods like chicken, beef,…

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  • Thank you very much to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for the ARC of Lisa Steele’s yummy book “In Season!” This was not the book to begin reading when all I had for lunch was a “bottom-of-the-crisper-drawer-hope-it’s-still-good” sad desk salad. The salads alone had me pre-ordering this cookbook (avocado-goat cheese-pecan salad with cherry-champagne vinaigrette! Nectarine panzanella…

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  • Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the review copy of “In the Blood” by Carl Phillips. I am not familiar with Carl Phillips’ work, which is an embarrassing admission to have to make as he is a Pulitzer Prize winner and the recipient of several other literary awards. “In the Blood” was…

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  • Thank you NetGalley and Amistad Publishing for the review copy of Tramaine Suubi’s collection “Stages.” Tramaine Suubi is a relatively new poet, and I feel they are going to go places. Suubi writes in freestyle, slipping through language with the grace of a dancer. They play with words, bringing depth to what could have been…

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