Inhabitants: Collected Poems, 1984-2004
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Author Description
Northern Mystery - The river is a woman blind beneath the silver hand of Night, these hills are still, their shadows home to tribes of ancient sand-blown wanderers adrift, the riveras ghost a doora]First footsteps witnessing the sand (unremembered corridor of days ago), first clouds to fill the air, first lamentations rising from the riverbed, from the bare feet of Hohokam migrations, from the hooves of Coronadoas cavalry, from the rims of broken wills and wheels (athe border-jumper cuffed and put in a patrol cara) and endlessly the sun and dust, in clouds from the sandals of the lost Jesuit staggering blind and waterless into the glare of the Northern Mysterya]One upon another come and gone, journeys unrecorded by the sand that shifts and covers over everything (eventually). Historyas a dream. The land itself is just mirage, an old woman tossing and muttering in her sleep, remembering nothing.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
The stark landscapes of the American Southwest hold echoes of ancient migrations and forgotten histories. The poems in this collection explore the enduring presence of the land, personified as a dreaming old woman, and the transient nature of human passage across it, from indigenous peoples and explorers to modern border crossings. The narrative framework is lyrical and evocative, drawing on imagery of rivers, sand, sun, and dust to weave a sense of timelessness and mystery.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Exploration of the Sonoran Desert and its historical layers.
- Themes of migration, displacement, and cultural memory.
- Imagery of the river as a life force and a symbol of passage.
- Juxtaposition of ancient history with contemporary border issues.
- Reflections on the ephemeral nature of human endeavors against the backdrop of enduring landscape.
- Use of natural elements like sun, sand, and dust to convey atmosphere and theme.
- A contemplative and often melancholic tone.
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
This collection appears to offer a profound meditation on place and time, particularly within the context of the American Southwest. The poems seem to engage with the layered history of the region, from its earliest inhabitants to contemporary struggles, using the natural landscape as a central, almost sentient, character. The lyrical style and evocative imagery suggest a work that invites deep reflection on themes of memory, transience, and the enduring spirit of the land. The collection's focus on the 'Northern Mystery' implies a rich exploration of the region's unique cultural and environmental identity.
Page Count:
72
Publication Date:
2004-10-01
Publisher:
PublishAmerica
ISBN-10:
1413742084
ISBN-13:
9781413742084
Literary Fiction
Poetry
American
Southwestern
