An anthology of verse in both modern and traditional styles by the prize-winning poet and artist, Margaret Havill Reid, including original artwork created especially for this edition.

This book marks the first time that the poetry of Curtis Wayne Parris appears in print. The poems were selected to showcase Parris’ mastery of verse and provide readers with a broad range of poetic styles from Parris’ diverse catalog. Readers should be advised—and forewarned—that they are about to enter into a world of hauntingly beautiful prose and verse that spans the spectrum of human emotion, from zeniths of bliss to nadirs of sorrow. In his cosmic meanderings, Parris wanders through psychedelic dreamscapes of sublime beauty but also descends into the deepest gorges of despair. Through linguistic alchemy, Parris skillfully blends subject, sound, syntax, and syncopation to create naturally rhythmic poems charged with pure emotion. Blessed with a gift for alliteration and cadence, Parris uses simple, everyday words to convey the most intimate and horrifying details of his life. Parris does not seek exposure nor notoriety, for he lives in a world of night, of moonscapes and shadows. Instead, Parris writes because he has a tempest inside. Parris injects metaphysical concepts into his poems, frequently traveling through time, space, and other dimensions as he explores the mysterious universe within his mind. In these respects, his poems can touch upon ancient nerves; for we are all, to some degree or another, just fellow travelers in time, journeying through life, seeking solace, and awaiting final destinations. Into this abstract poetic tapestry, Parris weaves his observations on life, death, religion, and politics. Come along and take a journey through the land of dreams.

This 118-page book contains selected poems by Rosalia de Castro (1837-1885), rendered into English verse by John Howard Reid. Some of Rosalia's most famous poems are also presented in their original Castilian so that interested readers can compare de Castro's highly charged thoughts and phrases with Reid's interpretations. It is hoped that Rosalia's unique vision, her firmly feminist outlook and her startling modernity have been well served. Most of the poems in this anthology have been selected from her best and most famous collection, "On the Banks of the River Sar" (1884), published shortly before her death. A few poems have been taken from "La Flor" (1857) and "A mi madre" (1863).