Fable in the Blood: The Selected Poems of Byron Herbert Reece

by Byron Herbert Reece, Jim Clark (Editor)

Collected here are poems by one of Georgia's most intriguing and talented poets of the twentieth century. Byron Herbert Reece was born in Union County, Georgia, in 1917 and authored four volumes of poems and two novels during his short lifetime. Until now, many of his poems, originally published in the 1940s and 1950s, have been out of print. Reece, who faithfully assumed responsibility for his family's farm when his parents became ill, was never a poet of the academic ivory tower. Indeed, he rebelled against the rising New Criticism associated with the Vanderbilt Fugitives, the elite of southern poetry at that time.

Reece's work reflects both the devastating impact of his parents' death from tuberculosis and his own affliction with the disease, which caused him to distance himself from "A solitary thing am I / Upon the roads of rust and flame / That thin at sunset to the air." Reece was also preoccupied with his ambivalence toward the farm, which sustained his solitude yet took time away from his "In the far, dark woods go roving / And find there to match your mood / A kindred spirit moving / Where the wild winds blow in the wood." Reece's poetry is resonant and contemplative, and Jim Clark has included here works that speak for the true grace of Reece's talent. In addition, Clark's attentive introduction should bring increased interest to this notable southern poet.

Genres: Poetry

228 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lizzy]

I have loved Mr. Reece's poetry for most of my adulthood. He was an incredibly gifted poet, who really didn't know how gifted he truly was. He was also a farmer who loved the nature and he was a Christian. There was always a tinge of sadness in his poetry that spoke to me. He must have been so conflicted and back then, there wasn't much to do if you needed help in terms of mental health. He committed suicide and there are times I have cried for him. So talented and yet he felt so alone. Just about every year I pull out one of his books of poetry and am always moved by his words. My favorites of his in this book are:

A Ballad of the Bones (probably his most well-known)
Bitter Berry
I Am The Dust
In the Far Dark Woods Go Roving
A Song for Breath
Of An Old Bone I was Bred
Gathers Again To Shining
The Service of Song

My all time FAVORITE though is this one. It moves me every single time. It is called "I Go By Ways of Rust and Flame". This man was so incredibly talented, but humble. If you love poetry, please read any of his volumes of poetry. You will be moved.