Jaguar of Sweet Laughter: New and Selected Poems

Soon tea bouquet scents my mouth, hair, the room, washes up over my face, and through the porthole I watch night's crystal blackness settling in, then lightning begin to prowl the peninsula, as I sip the sweet violet-scented tonic, feel an elevator drop sideways in my chest, and drift from the river into a river of dreams. ~ pg. 27, At Brazil Where the Sun Dines Reading most of Diane Ackerman's books gave me a sense of who she is as a person. Reading her poems took my knowledge of her to the next level. The poems are sensuously beautiful and Diane's command of language is at times startling and profound. She is a naturalist in her poems and a poet when writing prose. Deer, horses, dophins, bats, squirrels and moths all make their appearance. She also explores matters of the heart and mind and many of the poems have a delicate emotional balance. You will appreciate these poems even more if you have read about all her adventures. I especially enjoyed "Beija-Flor" which is a very exotic poem that mingles thoughts of kissing with nature scenes. It is quite beautiful with all its imagery. There are a few long complicated poems about planets and then a poem called "New House" in which she divulges intriguing information on the house where she lives. We would lie on coral sand, below sugary stars, watching Cassiopeia mount her throne and the Great Bear wash its paws in the South. I would say, " I have a secret to tell you." And, folding me in your arms, boyish and sly, you would answer: "Whisper it into my mouth." ~ pg. 102, French Frigate Shoals If you love books by Diane Ackerman then I can also recommend: A Natural History of the Senses 'The Moon by Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians, and Whales An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain A Natural History Of Love Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden ~The Rebecca Review