Where the Butterflies Go by Heather Grace Stewart

April is National Poetry Month and as she does every year Serena from Savvy Verse & Wit is hosting a month full of all things poetic. Be sure to pop over and follow along with all the wonderful blogs.  This year I chose to indulge in the work of Canadian poet and fiction author Heather Grace Stewart. This is my first foray into her work but it most definitely won’t be my last.

Where the Butterflies Go is a beautiful collection. It is divided into three sections: Pain, Growth, and Family. Pain and Growth are the sections that particularly resonated with me as I read through the collection partially because of when I happened to read it. I had a very good friend pass away in April many years ago now but I find every April finds me feeling that sad, empty feeling at her loss still. So many of Heather’s poems in these sections touched me and made me feel the absence of my friend in my life. Now that’s not to say they depressed me; they only made me think of times gone by and isn’t that what poetry should do… touch your soul in some way? These poems did that for me. I’d love to share one in particular that comes from the Growth section…

The Simple Things

I wake to
a white, sun-drenched room;
clean crisp sheets;
apricot scented skin and
a ripe mango on the
blue cotton table cloth

Outdoors, on the zebra-checkered patio,
the sun sleeps,
petunias try to touch the sky;
and the wind whispers
through a baby palm tree:
constant kisses on my feet.

The sky is celestial blue today;
the air, sweet and softly reminiscent
of rose petals and coffee grounds
that mingle
like the people
in the cafes and gardens nearby.

These simple things
are pure contentment;
These simple things
are summer’s treasures—
and they remind me of you:

Blessings
not to be taken
for granted.

(Taken from Where the Butterflies Go by Heather Grace Stewart)

This piece really touches me. It makes me stop and appreciate all the simple, day-to-day blessings in my life, both for and because my friend Chris can’t anymore.

Where the Butterflies Go is a collection to enjoy even if poetry isn’t totally your thing. It’s easy to read and speaks fully to our daily lives in both sadness and joy as well as to the tragedies occurring in our world today. A wonderful collection and highly recommended!

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Source: Personal eBook copy. The Simple Things reprinted with permission from the author Heather Grace Stewart.

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