RECOMMENDED READING

“Stunning! These words trace humor alongside depth and inquiry, grounded in truth telling and spiritual perspective. We can see clearly into the poet’s soul, relationships with her family, coupled with reflections on nature, social conditions, old age and the wonder of new life. It is possible to sit with these poems, taking time to feel the connection to one’s own experience. The work is a meditation, textured and strong, rendered with a light touch and sensitivity. These are my kind of poems.”
—Rev. Janet Tobin. Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa, CA

“In this, her first book of poems, octogenarian Cameo Archer uses her devout belief that nature is the message, lovingly describing the beauty of the world around her to express her feelings for her family and loved ones, without, however, omitting her careful perceptions of the painful aspects of life. Most of these easy-to-read pieces are written in prose poetry form as she describes how the elements and processes of the natural world provide vessels for her messages to those she loves. There’s also a delightful tribute to Emily Dickenson, beginning with: ‘Sorry, Emily… I am a Somebody’… A pleasure to read.”
—Vilma Ginzberg. Author of 90 is the new and Fire Song Poems

“Cameo Archer’s poems are sensitive and heartfelt. She traverses the landscape of her life, illuminating what has inspired her. Some of her best poems (“Winter Sunshine,” “And It Returns,” “Hawk in a Summer Storm,” and “I Have Always Lived With Mountains’) incorporate nature and act as a metaphor for a larger idea about life and living. Other poems (“Unable to Say Goodbye,” “Black Man, White Man,” and “These Days”) are reflections on life, mortality, and something bigger than all of us. Everyone will find something in these poems that they can relate to and enjoy.”
—John Koetzner. Former Healdsburg Literary Laureate