In the Murmuring Trees

By R. Tirrell Leonard Jr.

In The Murmuring Trees delves into nature, mythology and fantasy through
evocative prose and poetry, taking readers to a time and place where myths were real
and legends walked amongst men. It retells classic stories of gods and monsters, and
mans place within natures grandeur, capturing the essence of these timeless tales
while instilling in them a modern twist unique to R. Tirrell Leonard Jr.
"Imaginative poems and prose of great spirit, rich creativity, and three-dimensional imagery." The Columbia Review.





In The Murmuring Trees (2012)
Reviewed By: The Editorial Board
The Editorial Board of The Columbia Review selects new books and films of interest, as well as paid submissions and sponsored reviews from authors, publishers, directors, agents and producers.

In The Murmuring Trees by R. Tirrell Leonard JR. is an imaginative volume of poems and prose of great spirit, rich creativity, and three-dimensional imagery.

Readers of poetry often seek to understand not only the meaning of the words themselves, but to perceive who the poet really is. One might speculate that Leonard may be revealing himself best with the first line in the poem A Post in Furies Winds: I know I differ from the normal view

This collection of poems and prose is also a unique exploration of a common sentiment love but here it is to a place, as the title of another song reads: A Magical Country Dance. One cannot miss Mr. Leonards deep love for the State of Massachusetts both its people (Contemporary and natives) and its raw physical beauty (land and coast).

Most of the pieces may fit on one page, but many would serve as food for thought for a whole evening. And while the poet speaks of losing his voice, his writing comes across loud and clear with great charm and natural rythm. Adding to this volumes value for the reader are snippets of true perception and tickling humor. For example, who among us, lovers of poetry, dont remember a sleepless night made longer by the crickets singing through the open window, driving us near the brink.

In particular, some of Mr. Leonards poetry attains the cloak of youthful wit, alluding to figures from the sphere of fantasy and the world of magic, which would make much of this volume easily accessible and happily enjoyable for younger readers, as well.

In summary, this meticulous and beautiful collection leaves the reader shaken, elated and reflective, perhaps as the poet concludes the title poem (or close to it), In Murmurings Through Trees: Skies with lightning flashes bright and brawling, fill my mind with wonders still and installing. Indeed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479730926

R. Tirrell Leonard Jr.

R. Tirrell Leonard Jr. is a creative writing student at Southern New Hampshire University and a banquet server for the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. Leonard’s first collection of poetry is titled, In the Murmuring Trees. He lives in the Wood’s Hill section of Woburn, Massachusetts.

Book preview

IN THE

Murmuring Trees

R. TIRRELL LEONARD JR.

Copyright © 2012 by R. Tirrell Leonard Jr.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012918934

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4797-3091-9

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4797-3090-2

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4797-3092-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Rev. Date: 06/04/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

115867

Contents

A Circle Of Friends

A Post In Furies Winds

The Curse

The Ghosts of Night

Passing the Metal Herds

A Hero’s Death

A Magical Country Dance

My Froggy Squawk

Phantom Soldier

In Falling Snow

In Another Wasteland

The Chill

Release

The Ocean

For the Time Being

A Girl Of Dreaming

A Cloud

Fate

Mists

Before the Frost

Anesidora

Insomnia

Last Night

Revere Beach

Through Maple Wood

The Sorrow of Artemis

Love is Fire

The Stars Cross Above the Moor

Winter Rains

The Music of Fantasy

The Ballad of the Ice Dragon

On The Opening Act Of Sanctuary

The Flower Moon

On Love (A Sonnet Crown)

Nonsense and Tea

In Fields of Daffodils

Spring’s Garden

In Fantasia’s Sketch

The Heated Room

The Price

The Songs of Night

The Iron Gate

Ripples

In Songs of Winter

The Cooper Hawk

Pausing Near The Winter Woods

The Scarlet Letter

A Journey

The Werewolf’s Moon

The Long Walk

The Dark Veil

The Russian Winter

Winter Chill

The Tolling Bells

A Thought In Hand

In Stream

Cold Hours

Scream

The Hours That Pass

The Rising King

The Tiny Hord

Dawn

Castle Walls

Into The Hush Of Night

Morph

In Thundering Snows

Moonlight Reverie

Dreaming In Myths

Thistle Rush

Winter Sparrows

Immortal Chains

Betwixt

Crusader

Boston Light

The Fall Of Lal

Siege

To Braggers

Softly Cries The Loon

On The Marginal Way

The Ballad Of Omar

In Murmurings Through Trees

Morning Cuppa

Shards of Light

Hunted

She Searches

On Jetty’s By The Sea

Capricorn

Twilight Sighs

Morning

Across The Ample Sea

Love Once Knew

The Last Farewell

Old Friends

In The Summer of 1985

Dreams In The Stars

For Dianna

The Highland Light

Authors Note

The book begins with a fine poem, A Circle of Friends, that evokes both people and place: the poet finds himself thinking Of grass-grown rivers / Concord, Asabeth and Sudbury… near that sleepy hollow / Where Sandborn, Thoreau, Channing, / Emerson, the Alcott’s and Hawthorne lay / Dreaming like a circle of friends. He imagines these 19th century New England writers and religious leaders Walking sticks in hand / Talking as they saunter together / Laughter floating through the branches… The small details here and the choice of words walking sticks and saunter shape the reader’s appreciation of the scene and mood with their light touch and warm nostalgia.

In some of the poems, there is a sense, as well, of an older style, ornate and stately—a touch of John Greenleaf Whittier or James Russell Lowell. Pushed too far, though, the style becomes over-done: For children born of Cain, the earth has fed / Of Abel’s blood in ghosts of those undead… And freed ancient demons to feast on souls. There’s a tendency for the poet to slip into a Gothic mode of swooning mind, and knights and trolls and my terror bursts in screams.

The book would be stronger if Leonard would tone down the overwrought, Byronic imagery and concentrate on