Journey

by Eric Overby

Journey is the first medley of poems by Eric Overby, who explores the beauty in the pilgrimage of life. He points us toward both the mundanity and the miracle of life, writing about everything from working in his garden to his life with the one he loves. In Journey, you will find him drinking wine as the sun goes down; appreciating the place he comes from; remembering his elders; falling in love; and attempting to live each moment with contentment all along the way. You may find yourself doing the same.

68 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2018

About the author

Eric Overby, hailing from Russell County, is a poet, essayist, literary critic, and author. He has published several books of poetry, and writes The County Line’s weekly “Note to Self” column.

Eric works as a surgical technologist when he doesn't have a book or pen in his hand.

Find Eric’s books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Eric-Overby/e/...

Find Eric’s work at The County Line:
https://adair-russell.com/author/eric...

Find Eric's poetry on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mindful_sto...

Contact him through his email: eric_o_84@hotmail.com

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with poise and eloquence, 'Journey' by Eric Overby is a testament to the lost art of poetry. Filled with emotion, Mr. Overby's poems give us a glimpse into his life and what he hold most dear. His words resonate with the reader as to make them reflect on his/her own musings and on what truly brings beauty into their world. An absolutely wonderful collection of poems.

[Alex Hodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book of poems! Just as good the second time around.

[Ella Lowsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy good poetry and Kentucky authors and this is definitely both. The first half of the book is entitled, Here, and is about everything from nature and gardening to silence and oral history.
In his poem on oral history, Eric writes about working beside his grandmother:

"She tells stories of working beside
her father, cleaning out fence rows
with his sling blade and hoe. Her stories
help me to see, as we work together,
that history is being made as it gets told.
Passed on as it passes by."

The second half is entitled, Her, and, according to the back of the book, is about his fiancé. They are deeply moving and show a deep reverence to his relationship with her. I say reverence because of this poem.

Morning Meditation

"I used to rise early in meditation,
As the ancient saints and mystics,
Looking for peace, bliss, and ecstasy.

Now I awake as the sun rises.
I lie beside her,
Her head and the tops of her shoulders
Revealed from the top of the covers
Where we lay. Her face shines,
As the sun rolls through the bedroom
Curtains and leave her with a mandorla
As if she were the subject of iconography.

I lay in silence as I meditate on the artistry
Of freckles that are perfectly dotted
On her face and shoulders.
I venerate the delicate curvature
Of her lips and nose. Her eyes closed,
Veiled by a composition of lashes
That shroud the green mystery underneath.
As her hair lays dark and graceful
Across the pillows in front of me,
I lay in adoration,
And know there are none like her.

Moses was not even shown God's face,
Yet she has done me one better."

And

“I once took all my journals
from 3 years and burned them
in a fire. Alone,
watching the past disintegrate
reminded me of life and time. The present
is all I had. Time slowly burning
away each moment.

Now I've invited you
to sit next to me
as I watch the fire
burn away the past. Each moment
disintegrates as we start a new one,
together, until we become the fire."

Overall, Journey was moving and caused me to stop and reflect on... well, everything.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of poetry with many varied forms and themes. There is a great deal of heart and depth as well as a challenge to look at the world differently (which, let's face it, isn't that what poetry is supposed to do). I am grateful to have read this and look forward to reading (hopefully) reading more from this author.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.