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As we open Bill McNamara’s latest book of poems, we meet a man sitting below an old oak ‘in a carpet of red and gold leaves.’ He will guide us, this man, and as we follow him, we will discover Mariposa Lilies, Artemisia, bright Blue Flax, ‘and a thousand other wildflowers.’ But McNamara doesn’t stop at wildflowers. In this reflective collection, he shares his dismay at environmental degradation, pointing to the endangered flora and fauna of Hawaii as one of the worst examples. We will follow him on trails in the Sierras with his wife, Jojo, and travel to Colombia, the Caribbean, Argentina, and more. We’ll sympathize with a Monterey Pine haphazardly planted in the concrete jungle of a city, reflect on old age, and even spend a night in a depressing inn in Nevada. The words of the poems, whether delicate or strong, are carefully chosen, and as we read, we soon fall into the rhythm of the verse. Grandchildren, Jojo, and the trees give us hope at the end.
- Colette Gauthier Myles - author of Love, Songs, War, and other books, Sonoma, CA
As we open Bill McNamara’s latest book of poems, we meet a man sitting below an old oak ‘in a carpet of red and gold leaves.’ He will guide us, this man, and as we follow him, we will discover Mariposa Lilies, Artemisia, bright Blue Flax, ‘and a thousand other wildflowers.’ But McNamara doesn’t stop at wildflowers. In this reflective collection, he shares his dismay at environmental degradation, pointing to the endangered flora and fauna of Hawaii as one of the worst examples. We will follow him on trails in the Sierras with his wife, Jojo, and travel to Colombia, the Caribbean, Argentina, and more. We’ll sympathize with a Monterey Pine haphazardly planted in the concrete jungle of a city, reflect on old age, and even spend a night in a depressing inn in Nevada. The words of the poems, whether delicate or strong, are carefully chosen, and as we read, we soon fall into the rhythm of the verse. Grandchildren, Jojo, and the trees give us hope at the end.
- Colette Gauthier Myles - author of Love, Songs, War, and other books, Sonoma, CA