A Latch Against the Wind

I discovered this book in my school library as a teenager in the 80s. For me, it was a wonderful introduction to the simplicity that poetry can be. While studying poetry in college, I had a professor that repeatedly challenged us to, "Show me, don't tell me" regarding the language we used in our poems. He wanted us to understand that poetry should invoke images in the reader's mind rather than provide a detailed account of what the reader should see. For me, Victoria Forrester does that. The reader must remember that these poems, although considered "modern," were written before the age of the Internet, September 11 and so many of the other things that shape our current world. The themes of the poems are so much more innocent than they would be if written today. And for that very reason, I return to them when I need a retreat. Like Dickenson? Yes. But not a copy. I treasure this book and its simple illustrations.