If I Settle Down...

by Charles B. Cross

"What I find most compelling about Charles Cross's poetry is his profound relationship with words, his ability to stitch together exquisite images the way a talented quilter brings together pieces of fabric to create something endearing and warm, full of life and history. With his words, Cross plunges us into a world of coonhounds and bothersome flies, revolution, and a timeless sense of place in the Appalachian mountains. His poetic style is rooted in the classics in both form and content, yet Cross manages to breathe new energy into his dreams of Bacchus and gutterpunk, old farmhouses and pecan pie. The final piece, "Joyous Occasion," hits beautifully hard against the deepest well of emotions in this collection. It is Cross's homage to his grandmother that brings the reader back to ground, a kind of ineluctable melancholy that reminds us that good poetry always starts with the life experiences that strike deep into the soul."
-Michael Briggs, English Lecturer at East Tennessee State University

56 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2015

About the author

Charles B. Cross is an Appalachian poet with a passionate praise for the indomitable quiescence of the region that seems to project onto the minds of so many lives settling or passing through. His poems are reflective on the idea that maturity is corollary with knowing that we are in both the driver's seat, as well as the passenger's, on the open road, where the destination is extraneous compared to the endless sites and smells and faces revealed when you're really looking.

Reviews

[Sarah Butfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not experienced in poetry, but I did find myself engrossed and captivated by this collection of poems and I read them all in one sitting. It was like a series of short stories told very articulately. My favourites were Sal the Snail’s Simple Confession and the short tale at the end of the book called Joyous Occasion. The author has a natural storytelling ability which he harnesses into a collection of words which perfectly fit and deliver his messages in style. This book would make an ideal gift to poetry lovers. Highly recommended.