“Yet, the questions dance around us, and only poetry can find the rhythm.”
―D.A. (Daisy) Hickman, ANCIENTS OF THE EARTH: Poems of Time
However you feel about poetry, whether or not you love it or not exactly, I have just published a new collection that might pique your interest. Why? It’s about a mysterious subject we all must contend with. It’s about the limits and the luxuries of time, and how it quietly manipulates our lives in the background. Wanting to probe this mystery for insights, I explored time’s powerful dictates via poetry, and came up with a collection that, much like a timepiece, moves along quickly, persistently, and confidently, while allowing ample space for personal (and subjective) interpretation.
How do you experience time? How has come to impact your life? Do you often wish it away, or clamor for more?
Where did the title come from, you ask?
It was a wonderful, last-minute discovery. I already had a title. One I really liked.
But … when I began searching for an intriguing line of poetry, a quote, an epigraph, to open the book, I turned to Alfred Lord Tennyson‘s work. He was a favorite of my grandmother’s, and I try to weave him into whatever book I’m working on. In my memoir, THE SILENCE OF MORNING: A Memoir of Time Undone, I had a chance to mention his 1850 collection, “In Memoriam.” As many of you know, when Tennyson was only 24, his very good friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, died. Alfred then spent some ten years writing over a hundred poems dedicated to his dear friend, Arthur.
I was not familiar, however, with his famous poem that was published as an actual book in 1842: “The Day-Dream.” Scanning the book I soon ran across these intriguing lines: “For we are Ancients of the earth, And in the morning of the times.” Immediately, I knew that was my title. Historically, as I mentioned in my new collection, as a continuation of all that has come before us, we are all “ancients of the earth.” And since I was focusing on time in my poems, Tennyson’s reference to time via “ancients of the earth” seemed like the perfect fit for my first book of poetry. I guess we never know how our literary efforts will be resurrected by others with the passage of years. Alfred probably never imagined that someone publishing in 2017 would decide to use a line from his work for their title.
At any rate, here is the lovely book cover … there is another story behind the cover art. I found the photograph by Jon Firskr Larsen (Spearfish, SD, photographer) in 2015 and decided to buy it, knowing I would need cover art for the books I was writing. So when my collection began to take shape, I remembered his photo, Sunrise Goose, and knew, like the Tennyson quote, it was the perfect fit.
Probing experience and knowledge through the hypnotic lens of time, Ancients of the Earth penetrates the haziness of existence.
Where does time hide? Can we ever really “find” time?
Without a doubt.
Poems that weave a captivating story, that spotlight a persistent wondering, invite readers to explore,
personally and symbolically, the powerful dictates of time anew.
The collection is available on various popular book sites. As you read, I hope you find it compelling and memorable. Please share a reader comment on amazon once you read the book, as other readers, and, certainly authors, depend on your keen impressions.
Poetry grew on me very slowly over the years … but now, it seems perfect for our harried, chaotic world … a slice of brevity that manages to convey real emotion, fruitful contemplation. I know we are all too busy, but I try to read at least one poem a day, because I can always “find time” for that. It’s not a bad way to go either. A strong poem can sustain me throughout the day … often longer.
What do you think, ever had this experience? How do you like to read poetry, large chunks at a time … or more slowly, deliberately?
August is the bridge to autumn, and though I’m reluctant to step onto that bridge sometimes, “time” continues to demand it. That alone is a fascinating thought … so back to the keyboard. Another collection of poetry is already taking shape. It won’t be about time, per se, but it will be something you’ll definitely want to read! More details … 2018!
If you wish to order a copy, click here: ANCIENTS OF THE EARTH: Poems of Time. Thank you so much for your interest.
“This compendium of elegant poems will both root you firmly in the earth’s rich soil, and give you wings to soar to other dimensions.” —Matthew Peters, PhD, novelist
“A powerfully evocative exploration of humanity and the journey through time that we all share, if not always comfortably. Finally, a deeply insightful book of poetry that leads me to myself.” —Mark David Gerson, author, The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write
“D.A. Hickman’s poems brilliantly illuminate a subject that eludes us all—time. A vivid and intimate examination of time’s boundaries, time’s passage, this beautifully curated collection will change the way you think about the past, experience the present, and meet the future. Spellbinding and provocative, ANCIENTS OF THE EARTH will fill you with wonder, time and time again.” —Laurie Buchanan, PhD, author, Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth
Thanks so much for stopping by this sunny space for kindred spirits. See you again soon!
