From the Bone

by Melvin Litton

Culled from nearly half a century, from youth to the verge of age, these poems vary in form and voice as fits the range of heart and terrain, from first cry to barroom shout, through whispered memory and wind sigh, while puzzlement and wonder mix with politics of faith and fate amidst the flux of our mortal play – a scrimshaw of one life so to speak...from the bone. (*Cover print by Karl Ramberg, Lawrence KS.)

84 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2018

About the author

Melvin Litton’s latest work, The Kansas Murder Trilogy, presents three novels of shared theme but separate time and character: King Harvest (1); Banks of the River (2); and Skin for Skin (3) – all published by Crossroad Press. He has three previous novels (also from Crossroad): Caspion & the White Buffalo; Geminga; and I Joaquin. His stories and poems have appeared in Chiron Review, Pif, Mobius, Foliate Oak, Floyd County Moonshine, Broadkill Review, and The Literary Hatchet among others. He has two books of poetry: From the Bone (Spartan Press), and Idylls of Being (Stubborn Mule); and a collection of short stories, Son of Eve (Spartan). He is a retired carpenter and lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife Debra and their shepherd Jack. Formerly captain of the Border Band, he now performs as The Gothic Cowboy with Mando Dan: www.borderband.com

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melvin Little has published books previously and he shows his experience in this one. The collection of poems that all deal with life (his experiences and that of others) are thoughtful, filled with nuance and will leave you musing your own experiences. 33 poems, from the windy plains, to visions of priests, short poems, medium poems and long poems, there is certainly something here for everyone. There were a few poems that I liked a lot, The Gate, Dark Intent and Prodigal son and mostly I really liked Flight to paradise. Musings on life, how our shapes resemble punctuation symbols for one, are plentiful out there. But I think that Mister Little has a good grasp on how to use his words to make us think about our own humanity and frailty and how nothing in life truly stays the same, no matter its appearance. Great collection of poems for us poetic minds!

[Shanell Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well put together set of poems.

This is a really short read. It’s a compilation of approximately 50 poems. I grew up reading and writing poetry with my mom so I never pass up an opportunity to read a new book of poems. To me it is hard to critique poetry as it is something that comes from the heart and often tied deeply to our souls. I really enjoyed reading these short poems from Melvin Litton. They are not your run of the mill sappy sweet poems, they kind of have an Edgar Allen Poe feel to them, but not as dark as EAP. I think my favorite poem from this set is “The Willow”. The last line is by far one of my favorite poetic lines. “The willows breathes to me, The willow sings to me Grace is the only glory …”. I also love Moon Dance, the relaxed appreciation of nature really spoke to me. I’d like to read more from him.