‘White Cranes of Heaven’, Fifty Seasonal Poems

'White Cranes of Heaven', cover painting by the author

–

“In the four years I’ve known her, I’ve watched Jane’s poetic sense grow.  She’s become a master of evocation, spinning nature imagery that touches the soul and reconnects us to our pastoral roots.”

—–William Gaius, author of ‘The Ancestors of Star’

-(Quote on the back of ‘White Cranes of Heaven’)

–

For some reason, Lulu.com insists on listing this book as ‘White Cranes’, and not by the proper title: ‘White Cranes of Heaven’. Regardless, it is there on Lulu.com, and anyone looking for it should look under ‘White Cranes’.

What is different about this book from most poetry books is the inclusion of 11 full color plates of paintings illustrating some of the poems.  I was a landscape painter for 20 years before I started writing.  Since  these collected poems are seasonal poems, the landscape outside fits the imagination within: the poetry is generated by the visual and this is probably not unusual for most poets.

There were many more paintings considered, but the issue of final price of the book was of concern.  Ultimately this book will be expanded, with more more paintings, but at Createspace, not with Lulu.  After we had this printed by Lulu, we found that Lulu doesn’t have an in-house printer; they have to  ship it out to a printer, whereas Creatspace does have their own in-house printer.

There are people to thank for this production: Bill Penrose at the top of the list, my husband Fred Bartels and those friends who read the poetry and gave me their comments and suggestions.

I am very grateful, and delighted with the new book.

Lady Nyo

–

"Early Autumn Dusk", oil, Jane Kohut-Bartels, 2003

–

AUTUMN DUSK

Stuttering winds blow across

Clouds tinted by the failing sun.

Brittle air softens,

Now a faded blue–

Shade of an old man’s watery eyes.

–

A late flock of Sandhill cranes lift off,

Pale bodies blending in the

Twilight with legs

Flowing dark streamers,

Their celestial cries fall to

Earth–

A harsh, chiding rain.

–

The trees in the valley

Are massed in darkness

As waning light leaches

Color from nature,

Creeps from field to hillock

And all below prepares for the

Rising of the Corn Moon.

–

Even frogs in the pond

Listen between croaks

For the intention of the night.

–

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2010, from ‘White Cranes of Heaven’, published by Lulu.com, 2011

–

Book signing for "A Seasoning of Lust"

Tags: "White Cranes of Heaven", Autumn Dusk, Createspace, Jane Kohut-Bartels, Lady Nyo, landscape paintings, lulu.com, newly published book, poetry, wildlife paintings in new book