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Songs of Waking: Poems
- GenresPoetry
64 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 24, 2023
Are you supposed to read through poems quickly? Probably not, but I did! They were all too good not to.
Peaceful, reflective, and resonate.
The perfect little book to read outside at the brewery, sipping on a fruity sauv blanc, in no rush.
Peaceful, reflective, and resonate.
The perfect little book to read outside at the brewery, sipping on a fruity sauv blanc, in no rush.
July 20, 2022
such beautiful, heart-felt prose, im glad i picked this book up on a whim because it was wonderful
November 3, 2017
3,6
Some poems have a lot of force. Some don't say much at all. Some verses are perfect.
Some poems have a lot of force. Some don't say much at all. Some verses are perfect.
May 13, 2018
SO, SO GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL
I had a profound connection with many of the poems and can only hope this gets more attention, because it's from an indie distributor.
I had a profound connection with many of the poems and can only hope this gets more attention, because it's from an indie distributor.
January 27, 2024
I picked this up because i liked the cover and the back cover that only said "Poetry" and ended up discovering maybe my favorite poetry book. I cried. Golden is heartbreaking.
August 11, 2024
Jonathan Simons’ Songs of Walking: Poems is a quiet yet profound collection that takes the reader on a journey through geography, architecture, and the intimate landscapes of the human heart. With a deft touch, Simons navigates the delicate balance between hope and despair, leaving behind a trail of poems that linger long after the book is closed.
Dickinson famously wrote that “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” but in Small Fire, Simons offers a different metaphor, describing hope as “that little inferno.” This collection is filled with such unexpected turns, where familiar concepts are reimagined with fresh perspectives. Mary Oliver asked us, “What is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?” In In the Night, Simons responds with his own questions: “What will you do / with this feast of energy, this life longing and decay? What will you do / with the promises / you make in the light?” These lines are just a glimpse of the thoughtful, reflective nature of this work.
Simons’ poems are rich with the kind of anthropology that comes from careful observation, with verses sprinkled with references to places and times, forming a tapestry of memories and dreams. The collection carries a throughline of sadness and despair, yet it is also punctuated by moments of awe and wonder. In Polaris, Simons writes, “So yes, I am a balloon chaser, my pockets full of seeds / and photographs / maps of the Persian Sea, of Berlin, / nautical charts / sketches from a dream I had of the Northern Lights.” This blend of melancholy and marvel is a signature of the collection, inviting readers to explore both the darkness and the light within themselves.
The Factory stands out with imagery that could easily be brought to life by the likes of Nick Bantock, while The Seamstress inspires a desire to create my own mixed-media work, with lines like, “Drain this ocean I carry / and give me mirages of sea, / patterns of a woman I follow in the sand.” The vivid language and the richness of Simons' descriptions make these poems feel like artifacts of a world both familiar and strange.
Midnight Sun offers a succinct yet powerful depiction of grief, capturing how loss seeps into the mundane aspects of daily life.
Solitude resonated with me on a deeply personal level. While the poem itself is not explicitly about past relationships or the songs that haunt them, its lines brought to mind a specific song that an ex once dedicated to me. The poem’s simple yet powerful words helped me confront and vanquish some of my own personal demons tied to that memory. Though others might not make the same connection, for me, Solitude was a moment of unexpected healing within this collection.
I can’t recall when or why I first picked up this book. It bears no description or blurbs to guide a prospective reader—perhaps it was the simplicity of the pastoral cover or the title that drew me in. Whatever it was, I’m grateful I did. I read Songs of Walking in one sitting, fully intending to move on afterward, but Simons’ words have found a permanent place in both my home library and my heart. This is a collection I’ll return to, savoring its word choices and imagery for years to come.
Dickinson famously wrote that “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,” but in Small Fire, Simons offers a different metaphor, describing hope as “that little inferno.” This collection is filled with such unexpected turns, where familiar concepts are reimagined with fresh perspectives. Mary Oliver asked us, “What is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?” In In the Night, Simons responds with his own questions: “What will you do / with this feast of energy, this life longing and decay? What will you do / with the promises / you make in the light?” These lines are just a glimpse of the thoughtful, reflective nature of this work.
Simons’ poems are rich with the kind of anthropology that comes from careful observation, with verses sprinkled with references to places and times, forming a tapestry of memories and dreams. The collection carries a throughline of sadness and despair, yet it is also punctuated by moments of awe and wonder. In Polaris, Simons writes, “So yes, I am a balloon chaser, my pockets full of seeds / and photographs / maps of the Persian Sea, of Berlin, / nautical charts / sketches from a dream I had of the Northern Lights.” This blend of melancholy and marvel is a signature of the collection, inviting readers to explore both the darkness and the light within themselves.
The Factory stands out with imagery that could easily be brought to life by the likes of Nick Bantock, while The Seamstress inspires a desire to create my own mixed-media work, with lines like, “Drain this ocean I carry / and give me mirages of sea, / patterns of a woman I follow in the sand.” The vivid language and the richness of Simons' descriptions make these poems feel like artifacts of a world both familiar and strange.
Midnight Sun offers a succinct yet powerful depiction of grief, capturing how loss seeps into the mundane aspects of daily life.
Solitude resonated with me on a deeply personal level. While the poem itself is not explicitly about past relationships or the songs that haunt them, its lines brought to mind a specific song that an ex once dedicated to me. The poem’s simple yet powerful words helped me confront and vanquish some of my own personal demons tied to that memory. Though others might not make the same connection, for me, Solitude was a moment of unexpected healing within this collection.
I can’t recall when or why I first picked up this book. It bears no description or blurbs to guide a prospective reader—perhaps it was the simplicity of the pastoral cover or the title that drew me in. Whatever it was, I’m grateful I did. I read Songs of Walking in one sitting, fully intending to move on afterward, but Simons’ words have found a permanent place in both my home library and my heart. This is a collection I’ll return to, savoring its word choices and imagery for years to come.
December 15, 2018
On forgetting, Moving Closer, Midnight Sun and The Butterfly are masterpieces.
Simons manages to touch subjects in a way that makes them not only poetic, but that somehow cut deep into yourself and stay with you long after you've left the book on the shelf. The poetry is amazing, well crafted and heartfelt.
I have to admit Moving Closer was the poem that made me buy the book, but even before that, I was a goner thanks to the edition. Analog Sea are amazing publishers and the final result shows. The beautiful cover, the thickness of the paper, the flawlessly edited interior. As a publishing student, I'm starting to notice when a publisher has made an effort, and they certainly have managed to pull off an edition that is simply amazing.
(And thank you, Tom at Typewronger, for stocking this book that I would have not found anywhere else)
Simons manages to touch subjects in a way that makes them not only poetic, but that somehow cut deep into yourself and stay with you long after you've left the book on the shelf. The poetry is amazing, well crafted and heartfelt.
I have to admit Moving Closer was the poem that made me buy the book, but even before that, I was a goner thanks to the edition. Analog Sea are amazing publishers and the final result shows. The beautiful cover, the thickness of the paper, the flawlessly edited interior. As a publishing student, I'm starting to notice when a publisher has made an effort, and they certainly have managed to pull off an edition that is simply amazing.
(And thank you, Tom at Typewronger, for stocking this book that I would have not found anywhere else)
March 19, 2022
A little gem I found in a local bookstore in New Hampshire! I enjoyed this collection in its simplicity. I loved the way the imagery of nature was embedded throughout. If I’m being honest, I didn’t quite understand some of the poems in what they were trying to say but that could also be my lack of expertise in poetry I suppose. However, there were some poems that were such beautiful pieces that I had to read them over. Some of my favorites include: In the Night, Salt Spring Island, Polaris, and A Thousand Empty Rooms.
September 17, 2021
Lyrical…
April 6, 2023
Memory echoes wrapped in wistfulness.
November 30, 2023
Too sappy. Too vague. It didn’t catch my attention, neither with style nor narrative. Was nice to read on the subway tho. The edition is beautiful though, and I like the cover.
April 10, 2024
Mainly melancholic.
June 28, 2024
A thoughtful book of poems. While many of them read very similarly with the same note resounding through them, others were striking and abundant. The trains truly are always running late.
March 30, 2020
Ein sehr schön und liebevoll aufgemachter Gedichtband, der viel Inhalt in kurzer Form bietet. Die Texte selbst sind abwechslungsreich, wenn mir auch etwas die Sprachmelodie gefehlt hat. Manchmal klingt Simons etwas zu bemüht, aber oft hat er es auch geschafft, mich zu berühren. Kein dichterisches Highlight, aber Potential ist da.
May 25, 2023
I found this book by coincidence in a bookstore in Zurich. I've never heard about it before, but found out later that I added it to my want to read list and have forgotten about it. I'm so glad I picked it up it's so beautiful and heartwarming. I finished it in one sitting and I want to read it all over again.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews