Sparrow Songs IV (Paperback)

The 95 free-verse poems in this fourth volume of Sparrow Songs were penned from 1972 through 2006. Over half of her poems are prayer poems to Jesus. Others are what the author designates as "people poems," either directed to a person or persons or concerning the joys or sorrows of a particular individual's life. Some of the poems sing the beauties of Nature - one of God's great gifts - with the author's hope that those pieces will nourish readers and move them to more deeply relish the Creator's gifts. The poems are sequenced under major headings such as Prayer Poems to Jesus, Miscellaneous, Mercy, Nature, Friendship, and Mary. The author feels "that the ability to write, especially in the lyricism of poetry, is also a gift from God - one to be used with reverence and respect for the individuals concerned." Those qualities continue to permeate the poems chosen for this book. The quality of the book's selections is high, as one would expect from an author who holds a master's degree in English from DePaul University in Chicago and who taught poetry for many years.