Shadowing

by Cheryl Seely Savage

"...Cheryl Seely Savage loves words and readers leave each poem loving them too. A close and reverent observer of the natural world and a chronicler of personal yet universal experiences, she urges the reader to take notice of happenings both inside and outside oneself..."
~Sara Kiiru, poet, founder/editor of Red Pencil Editing, and founder/director of POETICS

Shadowing is the fourth collection of poetry by Cheryl Seely Savage. Closely related to her second collection, Carve a Place for Me, this new book uses her many experiences to paint a poetic picture of both joy and sorrow. Containing dozens of new poems, Shadowing attempts to create a space where darkness and light can live together, fulfilling their purpose.

In Savage's own

"...not all shadows are the epicenter of complete darkness. Leo Tolstoy once said, 'all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow' and I believe we can fear the darkness within us, in front of us, and surrounding us far more than necessary. We cannot have joy without despair. We cannot know love without loss. And we cannot have light without shadow. In fact, the darkness we fear so much is probably the very thing that allows us to find the light.

This collection of poetry is an attempt to gather the words in my heart that illuminate the shadows which have followed me throughout my life. Some came with me, others joined later, and some are here simply because I have forgotten to open a window and let in the sun. But every shadow has motivated me to seek goodness, beauty, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

So much love..."

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2025

About the author

Cheryl Seely Savage is a professional musician, piano teacher, and mother of eight. She has three published poetry collections: “Give Me a Fragment,” “Carve a Place for Me,” and “We Have Time.” She was shortlisted for the 2022 Lascaux Prize in Poetry and will be published in the Fall 2023 issue of “Exponent II.” Her work was the focus of “A Million Ways,” a four-movement musical composition commissioned by the Égide Duo and composed by Dr. Alyssa Morris. It premiered on July 6, 2023 in Denver, CO.
When Cheryl isn’t writing, she’s performing, traveling, reading, teaching piano lessons, dreaming, scheming, and managing chaos! Cheryl and her family currently reside in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this beautiful book of poetry - emotive, poignant, & thought-provoking. Cheryl Savage allows us a glimpse into her soul through this lovely work of art. I love her style!