River Light
Poems by J. C. Olander
110 pages, retail price $16.00, poetry
ISBN: 978-0-9981469-4-2
The Book
Writing the natural world Chris Olander cracks down to the elements, his senses, the crystal beings themselves, trees, birds, fish, bear, big cats, mountains, and his central metaphor, the river--water purls throughout, rivers, creeks, streams--these crystal beings in their motions and flow. The sacred. River Light offers us the ecopoet's gut choice, commodity and pollution versus natural reverence. His elemental writing lets us see, feel, taste the way to go.
Richard Silberg, author of "The Horses: New and Selected Poems" and "Deconstruction of the Blues"
associate editor of Poetry Flash
Each day our hands discover
Each day our hands discover
the blue-emerald river heart:
jewel that radiates
the canyon's deepest image:
the forest fountain
bubbling wilderness
down the granite crags'
building block foundation:
our soul's precious body:
a sweet communion for our lips—
Speaking vast secrets
fates sing of spirits
unfurling leaves
from golden black oaks
nourishing the lupine nectar
rippling spring rivulets
glowing dawn fire—
we dive into its clear pool
spirit laughing
our river current—
Author Biography
Chris Olander has worked as a Poet/Teacher with California Poets in Schools (CPITS) since 1984. He teaches and reads his work throughout California and in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. He has been published in many anthologies, magazines and specialty publications. Olander was a founding director of Poet's Playhouse in Nevada City, 1988-99; Nevada County Poetry Series of Grass Valley, 2000-12; an organizer and featured reader for the Berkeley Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival since 2001.
« Back to Press Titles