Who Walks Among the Trees With Charity

Last month I had the honor of being invited to read my work with other local women writers at a literary event. It was a group of tremendously talented women, including the poet Christine Swanberg. She had her books available for purchase, but I wasn't in the position to buy anything that day. She read a poem from her 2005 book, Who Walks Among the Trees With Charity, called "Summer Solstice." I loved the poem (along with everything she read) and wanted to read one of her books, so I checked the library and found Who Walks Among the Trees With Charity. I haven't read a collection of poems in quite a while, perhaps an embarrassingly long time for a writer. I forgot how nice it is to dip into poems, to not rip through a book but to nibble on a bit and wait, to let it digest and get under your skin. And Swanberg has huge talent. Her poems are largely narrative, which I love and find much more accessible. She skillfully twists and weaves words and metaphors in a way that I felt helped me with my writing. A while back, I wrote about Julia Alvarez's book Something to Declare, in which she talks about how she'll read poetry prior to writing prose. I thought it sounded interesting, but I often tell myself that I don't really care for poetry. Christine Swanberg reminded me that my assertion is false and showed me the virtue of a well-written poem.