Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays
- Apr 9, 2023
- 1 min read
★★★★★
Owls and Other Fantasies is a delight. How could it not be to a birdlover like me? For the unfamiliar, Mary Oliver has a plainspoken voice which can, to those looking for more decorated language, belie the depth of her attention and insight. Hers is the poetry of simplicity (which is not to say her poetry is simple), and in that simplicity meaning is clear, allowing the reader to tap straight into the feeling. If you love birds and the natural world and enjoy giving them your attention and being present for and with them, Oliver’s poetry is a must. Owls and Other Fantasies is a lovely place to start.
Highlights of this small collection include the opener, “Wild Geese,” “The Dipper,” “Such Singing in the Wild Branches,” the essays “Owls” and “Bird” (the latter of which is heartbreaking), “The Kingfisher,” “Hummingbirds,” “Starlings in Winter,” “Long Afternoon at the Edge of Little Sister Pond,” and the afterword, “Backyard.”
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