What people are saying about Elise Skidmore --
I've read POEMS FROM THE EDGE OF SPRING, and can highly recommend it! The sort of book you can pick up for a moment's respite or inspiration--or just sit and read from piece to piece, always entertained/comforted/made to think. Lovely book! -- Diana Gabaldon
Poignant and lyrical, every sentence is a gem. Each poem brought back personal memories of family members and past experiences, each one re-lived through Ms. Skidmore's precise pen. I thorougly enjoyed this selection of poems, and look forward to reading more from Elise Skidmore! -- Karen White
... I really enjoyed the beautiful poetry in Poems from the Edge of Spring. I will pick it up and read it again...and again. -- Cheryl Secomb
Elise Skidmore gives us a glimpse of her inner most feelings and she does it well. Each of us can find a bit of our own soul inside her elegant words. Definitely worth the read! -- Susan Michalski
When Leaves Fall is the eagerly anticipated second book from acclaimed poet Elise Skidmore whose poetry reaches into the heart and brings us together in the seasons of life that we all share.
When Leaves Fall
When leaves fall,
still shouting life with
their last rasping breath,
as brilliant reds, yellows and umber
crunch beneath our feet,
I breathe deep,
inhaling sunshine, wood smoke
and memories of laughing
with the leaves
and you.
First let me begin with I am not a lover of poetry, but having very close ties to the author , meant I had to read it. Imagine my surprise, when during a night of sleeplessness I picked the old Kindle up and started reading this delightful array of prose. Poetry to me is a personal thing it is the feelings of the author put down for others to see , read and judge. Elise Skidmore has done just that , she has bared not only her soul , but her sense of humor. In written words she reaches, not only into her soul, but opens the readers also. I would venture to say that anyone reading this little book, and it is little, would finish it with sometimes a tear, sometimes a smile, but hungering for more. Kudos to you Elise Skidmore.
Elise Skidmore writes of her father, of loss, of love, of the seasons. She writes of sadness and New York and lost innocence. And then she writes about the Amazin' Mets of 1969. Really? The Mets? Elise, you won. You touched my heart. "Today" brought a tear to my eye. "Ever Your Child" spoke of a poignant longing. And "My Father Was Still a Boy" is an amazing tribute. Beautifully illustrated, When Leaves Fall is an all encompassing compilation of emotion. Buy it, you'll like it.
Poet Elise Skidmore sees the mundane and the special, the everyday images we take for granted and the darker, sadder realities of our lives, and gives them the importance they deserve in her eloquent, descriptive free verse style. Each word is chosen carefully, as much for its own sound and meaning as for the image created and the power and emotion delivered when teamed with other well-chosen words. Whether honoring the memory of a loved one gone or in displaying a wry and cocky pride in her hometown, the result is a body of spectacular images and an experience that warms, enlivens and satisfies.
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