Seasons of Light, Poems by Bonny Barry Sanders

Seasons of Light, by Bonny Barry Sanders, is a collection of poems tuned to the order of the four seasons.  Each of the first four sections takes up one season of the year and reflects upon the world of nature, personal impressions and insights, family experiences and relationships.  The poems selected to be included in this collection find their settings in locations across the US and even as far away as India and Europe where the author has lived and traveled.  Central to each section is the infusion of light casting its power, influence, integrity, and inspiration on the subject at hand, offering some unique perceptions and sometimes a touch of humor.  Prose poems included provide narratives that enable the poet to expand upon the subjects and allow the reader to enjoy more detail. Twelve ekphrastic poems form the fifth section of this collection. They provide Ms. Sanders’ response to individual pieces of art selected from the work of our fine sculptors, painters, and musicians—Ghiberti, Morisot, Van Gogh, Chagall, Beethoven, Jan van Eyck, de Kooning, Degas.

Sample Poems by Bonny Barry Sanders

“Bonny Barry Sanders’ collection Seasons of Light moves beautifully through the seasons of the year, shedding its considerable illumination on each one. ‘You pointed it out to me,’ she writes, ‘the wonder in your eyes’ (‘Bioluminescence’). The ekphrastic poems at the collections’ end serve as a kind of dance, the poet swaying with the art. ‘Wouldn’t you rather sit with me and watch / the moon from the window, gathering its constellations / into a grand congregation instead of hiding there on your canvas / behind that veil of strong, transparent washes?’ (Woman II, 1961’).There’s a sense of movement throughout, following the change of light, but also moments of quiet and stillness: ‘our daughter, gone so long / walked through the front door past / all those red blossoms / and time stopped’ (‘Red Begonia Summer’). Sanders shows us the beauty in relationships between humans and with nature, and we feel the joy of living and its grief, the moving light, and the shadows.”—Lori Martin, Poetry Editor, The Midwest Quarterly

“It is very rare for a book of poetry to stun me with its riches, with its comfort in this world so great I can’t help but be totally immersed.  Bonny Barry Sanders’ new collection is exactly that book, so full of spoonbill, Chagall, Beethoven, bioluminescent jelly fish, tundra swans, love, and life, it’s staggering. These poems offer all that bounty woven into gorgeous tapestry, imbued with ‘the deep-rooted / desire to nourish, to connect.’ Page by page, Seasons of Light reminds us color and art and the bustle of nature can heal most things. And if you give time to these poems, to this poet, the returns will be profound. I’m certain of it.”—Jack B. Bedell, author of Ghost Forest, editor Louisiana Literature, Poet Laureate of Louisiana 2017-2019

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