TELLING TALES OF DUSK. By Terri Kirby Erickson. Press 53. 100 pages. $12.
Now that the carefree, less-scheduled, novel-reading days of summer have given way to deadlines, meetings and children's programs, it is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Terri Kirby Erickson's book of poetry, Telling Tales of Dusk. Tuck the volume into a bag or laptop satchel and indulge in a poem or two anytime a stolen moment can be found during the day. Most of the 73 poems will bring to life a familiar memory of life in the South and leave behind a wistful smile sure to brighten most any day.
"Smoke and Mirrors" recalls the intensity of a first crush -- "The boy I was talking to dissolved, tablet-like, in the watered down scenery of the things that were not you." -- a perfect description of first love that leaves everything and everyone on the periphery of life save the object of affection. Later, in "Seventeen," the author laments, "Somehow you never meet the boys who drive convertibles … Instead you meet your best friend's pimply brother." Erickson gives a spot-on description of the reality of the teenage years contrasted with the fantasy of those same years.
Other poems speak to the adult who is long past the teenage years. Erickson reminds us of the simple pleasure of how a child's happy picture can uplift the dreariest of days. She summons feelings and emotions one might experience by reading a much longer text, yet she succeeds in doing so with brevity.
Death is an inevitable theme of several of the poems, as is the wistfulness for days of old with relatives snatched from life prematurely. These topics, while carrying a serious tone, are not overly dark or foreboding. The undertone of the bereavement-themed poetry resonates with the hint of a life lived well. This allows the reader to experience the positive life described rather than see only the death.
Nature, too, gets ample coverage in this poetry volume. "Morning Glories" showcases Erickson's mastery of metaphors and alliteration: "Morning glories march on green feet … With purple bugles blaring, they advance at dawn."
Erickson's greatest gift, however, may rest in her ability to forever affect the way we view the natural events of our world. In her poem "Auld Lang Syne," she writes, "Night waits like a pool for the day to jump in." This line repeats itself in my mind like a learned line of scripture each time I witness the descending night. It somehow makes nightfall seem more welcome, more peaceful, more still.
Terri Erickson is a North Carolina native with a notable catalog of published poetry to her credit. She lives in Lewisville with her husband. The cover artist, Stephen White, also lives in North Carolina.
Cindy Bunker is a free-lance writer who lives in Lexington.
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