Rooted and Winged – poems by Luanne Castle

Unbelievably Pretty and I didn’t lose power during the winds and rain of Hurricane Ian as it passed through our neighborhood two days ago. I held my breath and feared the worst: I wouldn’t be able to finish the Sidney Poitier documentary on Apple TV+ or watch A Raisin in the Sun afterwards. I needn’t have fretted about the telly, though.

During a rain recess I walked to the mailbox and was pleasantly surprised to find a copy of Rooted and Winged, poems by Luanne Castle, stuck among the host of political asks for financial support which are routine with the mid-term elections looming. Luanne is a blogging friend who shares my interest in personal history mixed with current cats, a love of family, a truth seeker and teller. Hooray, I thought to myself as I put the book down on my chair and returned to Sidney on the still functioning Apple TV+. Regardless of wind and rain, I had a book to read by candlelight. No need for candlelight – my lamp bulbs performed their duties without interruption.

As the title suggests, this latest collection of poems by award winning poet Luanne Castle vividly portrays her recollections of the people and places that grounded her for life as well as the later forces which led her to observe nature with more than casual acquaintance, confront change in a world spinning out of control, and ultimately gave her wings to the voice she now uses to simultaneously sound alarm while offering comfort.

Here are excerpts from two poems I found unforgettable.

Why We Wait for Rain

We wait for hours watching the dark unfurling

toward us, unsure

if it will land here at all

whether it carries thunderstorm or haboob

It smells like rain

bittersweet cocktail of sandstone & blossoms

still damp and quickening in the air

over ten thousand years…

And then this wonderful fantasy When I’m in Charge

Someday you will realize it was me

and know what you’ve lost.

When the cancer cure is announced,

I will be the anonymous healer.

I will defeat A.I. before it takes over

our world, outwit the hackers,

the scammers and spammers…

We’re all safe in the future because

of what I’ve done, outlawing grief

and its wily predecessor love.

This book as well as her earlier work is available through Amazon and Luanne’s https://www.luannecastle.com/bookstore.

Even if you believe you’ve never liked poetry, I encourage you to have a go at this collection. I guarantee you’ll surprise yourself by the emotions the images evoke even as your mind takes flight.

***********

Stay safe, stay sane, and please stay tuned.