Drunk With Illumination

by Sharon Foley

Emotionally stirring, sensory charged, in Sharon Foley’s second collection of poems, Drunk with Illumination, she expertly transmutes life experiences and distills them into a poetry that reignites the senses. Her poems often revolve around natural themes, as in attempting to describe a sunrise; “I have no name/for this feeling that swells/ when I watch the unfolding dawn/of an ordinary day;” or hiking a mountain trail; “safe beneath the stretching sky/ blue cape of the world;” or driving Nebraska back roads; “where marshland opens up/like an ironed seam.” But themes of sorrow are also examined as she faces the loss of a young friend; “we thought our lives stretched-out-long ahead/like highway sixty-nine;” or a troubled brother; “I want to crack the egg/pull you out of your shell/trim your long beard of disappointment.” And finally, themes of aging are explored; “it’s much simpler than I ever knew/this trouble/ of time running out . . . I will grow close to the wheat/and the wheat will grow close to me/and I will lie down/let go.” Sharon Foley’s poems bravely ‘illuminate’ universal themes of life.

38 pages, Paperback

Published April 27, 2018

About the author

Sharon Foley is a lifelong student, instructor, and trainer dedicated to positive reinforcement-based training practices. Drawing from 20 years of experience with some of the best teachers in the world in the areas of clicker training, horsemanship, and classical dressage, she has developed a unique teaching style and training methodology. She currently lives in East Tennessee with her husband, where she continues her work training, teaching, and writing.