This Poet Laureate winner is a collection of poems is a celebration of the earth, nature, and science, taking the reader on a poetic journey from the beginning of time in our world to present day. With a focus on the family tree of all life on earth, this book appropriately begins with a quote and diagram of the Tree of Life by Charles Darwin; through these poems, readers will come to love, appreciate and “wonder” at all that our planet has to offer. Beginning with the theme on the wonder of the world’s bounty, and concluding with poems that appeal the reader to respect every living thing, this collection allows us to see the beauty of the world through new eyes. The selected works includes classic poets such as Dickinson, Whitman and D.H. Lawrence, as well as more contemporary poets. Poems are both spirited and reflective in tone, offering a perfect juxtaposition for how nature can be both light and dark, fierce and calm. The selections are both inspiring and insistent that the reader recognize the realities and threats to nature, appealing to the reader, through a new appreciation of the planet, to respect every living thing. Anyone who enjoys the beauty that nature provides will be taken away with the beautiful alignment of science and poetry that this collection has to offer. -Jamie
