How To Hold a Flying River: Poems

By Martha Kalin

Fleeting fragrances, fragments of dream and memory, secrets whispered in the night, painful collisions with reality, consolations drawn from music and clouds: these poems move relentlessly through shadow and light as they circle, question, and confront the turbulence of being human. They stretch sensitive drumskins over frames of close observation, resonant understatement, and silences rich with insight. Ultimately, the poems are exhortations—for heaven to "rest your head on my knees"—and invitations for the reader to enter a space where the ineffable dwells.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Regal House Publishing
• Release date: Jun 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646030323

Book preview

River

How to Hold a Flying River

Poems

Martha Kalin

Regal House Publishing

Copyright © 2019 Martha Kalin. All rights reserved.

Published by

Regal House Publishing, LLC

Raleigh, NC 27612

All rights reserved

ISBN -13 (paperback): 9781646030057

ISBN -13 (epub): 9781646030323

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019941554

All efforts were made to determine the copyright holders and obtain their permissions in any circumstance where copyrighted material was used. The publisher apologizes if any errors were made during this process, or if any omissions occurred. If noted, please contact the publisher and all efforts will be made to incorporate permissions in future editions.

Interior and cover design by Lafayette & Greene

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Cover images © by TairA/Shutterstock

Regal House Publishing, LLC

https://regalhousepublishing.com

The following is a work of fiction created by the author. All names, individuals, characters, places, items, brands, events, etc. were either the product of the author or were used fictitiously. Any name, place, event, person, brand, or item, current or past, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Regal House Publishing.

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

for Locksley

Quote

Is not impermanence the very fragrance of our days?

Rainier Maria Rilke

How to Hold a Flying River

Judge’s Preface

How to Hold a Flying River is different from any other writing I’ve ever read. Martha Kalin hits so many different notes in her writing: vulnerable, wounded, celebratory, powerful, lyrical, tender, and prophetic. The tone can range from earthy to exquisite, often in the same poem.

Kalin reports accurately and bravely on the pains of aging, violence, and defeat, but even in the most trying situations, she shows that the soothing qualities of beauty are always within reach. She displays the strength of the heart and of human connection with a visionary splendor. This is a world where purity and sophistication