SAINT JULIAN PRESS
Kevin McGrath ~ Romance: The Only Life
In this poem, time becomes both lover and guide, marking the seasons of human life with a quiet inevitability. Autumn’s “blood and luminosity” fades into winter’s dark compression, making way for spring’s beauty, which, like youth, is oblivious to its power. Summer strips away pretense, leaving us “strong in our nakedness” as we grow, love, and age.
The poet deftly presents love as a singular encounter—transformative, irrevocable, a touch that forever alters. There’s joy, not in possession, but in loss, in the surrender of all that “cannot be held.” Love here is an ephemeral, transparent gift, a kindness that, like water, fills us without form or claim.
The heart of the poem wrestles with imperfection, embraced not as a flaw but as a condition that deepens faithfulness. True fidelity becomes a conscious solitude, a “courage of election,” recognizing that life’s ultimate journey is inward. In a lyrical crescendo, the poem envisions a final, unbound departure from earthly attachments, where love transcends the self, joining a greater unity beyond mortal ties.
This is no simple meditation; it’s an intimate map of the human soul’s pilgrimage. The closing image of the “palms trees in the human heart,” crowns the poem with a subtle victory—an imperishable peace earned through the acceptance of both love and loss.
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Publication Date: December 2, 2024
Paperback: $18.00 Publisher: Saint Julian Press, Inc. Language: English ISBN-13: 978-1-955194-40-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2024948742 Paperback: 90 pages |
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Saint Julian Press, Inc. * Houston, TX 77008 * Ron Starbuck ~ Publisher-CEO
Email: ronstarbuck@saintjulianpress.com * Web: www.saintjulianpress.com
Saint Julian Press, Inc. * Houston, TX 77008 * Ron Starbuck ~ Publisher-CEO
Email: ronstarbuck@saintjulianpress.com * Web: www.saintjulianpress.com
SAINT JULIAN PRESS, INC. © 2022
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As an Amazon Associate — Saint Julian Press, Inc. may earn funds from any qualifying purchases.
This arrangement does help to sustain the press and allow us to publish more books by more authors.