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LINDA A. PETERS - Of Water and Petals: a finely crafted work of art

(Published by Cyberwit.net, 2007, ISBN 978-81-8253-076-8, 159 pages, paperback, US$15)

Of Water and Petals is a finely crafted work of fine literature, presenting highly visual narratives, short short stories in poetic format, character studies and portraits with the astute observance of a photographer or a painter. Peters does not seem to let much escape her, and is very proficient at retelling these "stories" in ways that are entertaining, insightful and personally recognisable, but never standing on a soap box. She uses many elements of contemporary poetry that she easily moulds into various shapes, forms and experiences, in her own strong literary style.

This is not only intelligent poetry, but also fun reading. It is not every poet who succeeds in achieving both throughout a collection of poems. It seems appropriate to give the author herself the last word in this piece of literary criticism. There are all too many fine examples of her artistry to include several, but I feel that the title poem ("Of Water and Petals") is highly representative:

Of Water and Petals

He sat down at his easel

at the edge of a garden.

Graceful women

holding parasols

glided past his elbow

to watch him

guide oil onto canvas

at Giverny,

a place of equilibrium

in a life of earthly struggles.

Paint was his elixir

and water lilies

won his heart

with his favorite element,

water.

His friends Renoir and Sargent

became subjects in enamel,

Renoir reading a paper,

Sargent painting a wood

and impressing a woman.

But to know Monet

you must stand at the entrance

of his garden at Giverny,

become enraptured

with the reflections

of blues and greens

In the water,

and listen to the soft echoes

of generations of water lilies

that murmur his name

fondly.

Literary criticism (2008) by Adam Donaldson Powell (based upon "Of Water and Petals", published by Cyberwit.net, 2007, ISBN 978-81-8253-076-8, 159 pages, paperback, US$15)

LINDA A. PETERS (USA) makes her debut as a poetry book author with this collection of poems.