Harvest Leaves and Roses (HC) (2015)

It is said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. If that is true, then Harvest Leaves and Roses will emerge as a riveting salute to T.S. Eliot and Walt Whitman. With neither pretense nor ornamentation, Peavy continues the project of Eliot in freeing poetry from its straitjacket of sentimentality and rhyme while accentuating Whitman's sensuality. Yet, this volume is not just about imitation. It digs deep into the zeitgeist of the 20th Century and exposes it for what it is with fresh insight and the skill of a linguistic surgeon. However, there is neither anger nor condemnation within the pages of this book of poetry. Instead, there is warmth, hope, and an abiding tenderness. Although many subjects are treated herein, they are all done so in the rhythm of life and the spirit of the upward spiral of humanity which continues even in the darkest of times. This small volume of poetry is big in its call to come to the harvest and taste of the fruit of life. Baby Boomers will find it rich with cultural references which they can enliven their parties by seeing who can guess the most ones while church groups can gather together to see who can identify the most biblical references. Now that is the life of poetry.