Alpenglow

Karen Morris' Southern voice entices her readers to join her in a poetic journey from the mountains of West Virginia to the coastline of Florida. In this, her fourth collection of poetry, Morris embraces the joy of travel, both here and abroad, and reflects on her encounters with those she meets at home and afar. Acclaimed by critics for its use of figurative language, imagery, radiance, mystery, and hope, Alpenglow presents "a global view with Southern literary flavor." Nature is ever present in the work, from Monarch butterflies to the bees of Cozumel. Capturing themes from Greece to the Pacific Northwest, from Mexico to her own backyard, Morris empowers the richness of nature with imagery to touch the heart of every reader. Her lyrical expertise shines as she incorporates constrained poetic forms as sonnet, cinquain, haiku, and ekphrastic so subtly and masterfully that only the astute reader will recognize the form. Yet, the message is clear, as it is with her free-flowing prose poems. To the poet, the title Alpenglow represents the few brief moments of clarity and wonder. In nature, alpenglow is the rosy blush on mountaintops when the setting sun shines from below the horizon. Her humble "alpenglow" poems share memories and imaginings, nature, change, family, and everyday people - all expressions inspired by the glow of insight, from the distance of one granted long years. The truths she paints with language will resonate with readers young and old. To accompany the 50 poems in the collection, Morris shares 23 of her nature photographs in color so the reader can also visit the places that inspire her.