Malinda Markham's peoms are inspired in part by her fascination with Japanese language, art, and literature. Her reactions to and interpretations of that country's history, culture, and people are in these verses, echoing with the voices and silences of women across time. Markham imagines the experiences of many women: a geisha laments her past in "Geisha Considered as Making," as a mother laments for her daughter's future in "Yield to This." Markham is intrigued with how language tries but ultimately fails to hold memory in place. She grapples with the translation of words and feeling and shows how this failure also brings a searching for belief - a word that repeats throughout these poems - in a world that cannot allow it. Writes Cole Swenson, "Markham's language has the delicacy of the fine bones of the inner ear; it is, itself, a form of listening - to insects, birds, traffic, to the world. Her listening brings things into being, catching the nuances of change, from season to season, culture to culture, impression to language. This is a radiant collection."
This radiant collection of contemporary poetry explores:
- Japanese Inspired Poetry: Verses that delve into the art, culture, and history of Japan, from the life of a geisha to the subtle meaning of a persimmon.
- Women’s Voices: A powerful exploration of the experiences of women across time, echoing their laments, their strength, and their profound silences.
- Lyrical and Imagistic Verse: Language with the delicacy of "the fine bones of the inner ear," where every line is an act of deep and careful listening to the world.
- Language and Belief: A deep grappling with how words try—and fail—to hold memory in place, sparking a poignant search for belief in a world that resists it.