The Boat of Quiet Hours: Poems
Some poems begin with a picture, a moment that begs to be rendered in words. Kenyon writes poems like this, and writes them well. Her poems celebrate the moment with wit, charm, and style: "through time and space we came/ to Main Streetthree days before/ Labor Day, 1984, 4:47 in the afternoon;/ and then that moment passed, displaced/ by others equally equivocal." Kenyon's concerns are everyday, but her keen perception and precision of language make each poem memorable. It is a language that is simple but exact: when her lover is not there, "the bed on your side seemed/ as wide and flat as Kansas"; watching a storm swell in the distance"How lucky we are/to be holding hands on a porch/ in the country." These glimpses into Kenyon's life make for interesting reading. A good choice for any poetry collection. Louis McKee, English Dept., Judge Sch., PhiladelphiaCopyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.