4 out of 5 stars.
Living in the digital age, everyone is always talking about “reconnecting with nature.” Local author Kendall Hope’s book “The Willow Weepings” proves that we never lost touch with nature in the first place.
I encountered “The Willow Weepings” at Poor Richard’s bookstore, located downtown. When I first opened it, I saw the title page had been signed.
I looked up Hope, wondering how a signed copy of her book ended up in one of my favorite small bookstores, and found that she is a Colorado native. Hope has hosted book signing events at every community center or bookstore I visit, from Ivywild School to Barnes and Noble on Briargate.
As a lover of modern poetry, I have always avoided poems about nature, because I felt I could not relate to the topics. However, this book thwarted my expectations in the best possible way.
“The Willow Weepings” is a brilliant exploration of the ways the human experience mirrors the phenomena in nature around us. Hope blends poetry and photography to share the beauty in every aspect of nature, even those we typically find unpleasant, and, in turn, every aspect of being human.
Hope’s work is divided into two parts: “The Willows” and “The Weepings.” “The Willows” section focuses on all the joy found in the natural world around us and learning to appreciate our own lives. “The Weepings” section delves into our shared heartbreak and grief, challenging the often-isolating nature of these feelings by showing that other species experience them, too.
As I was working my way through the first half of the book, I felt secure in my assumption that the book wouldn’t be one of my favorites. I did enjoy some of the poems in “The Willows,” such as ‘Fish in a cage’ and ‘Flowers in the attic,’ but I truly fell in love with the second half of the book.
Every poem in “The Weepings” felt as if Hope had reached into my mind to pull out threads of memories, and then used the memories to craft words on the page. She did not shy away from the deepest depths of despair, yet still left me with a newfound sense of hope by the end.
It shocked me that a book that seemed to speak straight to my soul was written by someone who frequents all the same places I love.
Hope’s Instagram account is @kendallhopepoetry, and her complete works are listed on her website. Her new book of wordplay poetry “Tongue Tied” will be out on Sept. 19. I won’t just be buying a copy from my local bookstore — I’ll be looking out for her next book signing, too!
“The Willow Weepings” by Kendall Hope. Photo by Lillian Davis.