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.

This collection of free verse, prose, and ekphrastic poems demonstrates a variety of forms and content, and suggests a sensitive consideration of the interrelatedness of the natural and the human worlds.

Sample Poems by Bonny Barry Sanders

“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