Woodsmoke

by Wayne Caldwell

A poetry collection about living “in the shadow of the mountain my father said was mother to us all.”

Woodsmoke is a poetry collection that renders the experience of living out life in a single, exquisite place—“in the shadow of the mountain my father said was mother to us all”—Mount Pisgah in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Wayne Caldwell, author of the novel Cataloochee, brings us the waning days of Posey Green, who cuts his own firewood, looks after himself, and tends to the land where his wife Birdie and her people are buried. Posey’s colloquial narrative poetry is presented as found verse, conjured from Posey’s internal musings—and these poems alternate with those of a new neighbor, a sympathetic female poet who observes Posey and his surroundings and creates a more formal poetic record of his days.

Genres: Poetry, Southern, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2021

Reviews

[Diane Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd Reading - December 2024.

Just as good, even better this time around. I read this because his follow up book to this is out and that is my Christmas gift to myself this year. It has everything; dead mules, old ways, old -timey words and phrases. How fortunate that I could reread this during a cold snap that enabled me to have a fire in the fireplace every night. There is something elemental about a fire, the light, the crackle, logs falling in on themselves as they burn. Not to mention the delicious warmth that you don't get from electric heat. Maybe its ancestral memory, but just looking at a woodpile gives me a sense of security.

This book was a real surprise. The life of Posey Green, written in verse, a mere 86 pages. A surprise because I don't read much poetry and wasn't sure I would be interested in this, but it was available on Hoopla so I downloaded it to give it a try. After the first couple of poems, I figured out that I could just ignore the line breaks and read it as straight prose, then everything fell into place. Posey would fit right into Wendell Berry's world, although he lives on a mountain in NC. His reverence for the natural world, his loyalty to the old ways and his philosophy of living make me ache for the old ways myself.

Heres how much I loved this: I just ordered both of Wayne Caldwell's novels, and I'm going to buy my own copy of Woodsmoke in hardcover, once I am able to shop again in a real bookstore.

And what a beautiful cover!

If you love excellent southern literature, do yourself a favor and give this one a try.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dear friend Diane reviewed this lovely little book and I was so taken by her review that I popped right over to Hoopla and downloaded it. I am very glad (as I generally am when Diane makes a recommendation) that I did so. Wayne Caldwell is an inspired writer and these poems go together to make a lovely story.

Diane has written a perfect review, so I will not attempt anything other than to say read hers and then read the book.

Diane's Review

[Lori Keeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely and beautiful little book of one man's life told in poems. My friend Diane brought this to the forefront and I'm so glad that she did. If you love southern lit and reading a little poetry written in verse, you will be treated to the story of Posey Green's life living by and honoring the land and the mountain he called home.

This was actually my very first book of poetry. I had to make a new shelf. If I can find more poetry this good and realistic, I'll gladly read more!

[Dave Marsland · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a deep-rooted wisdom to the poems of Wayne Caldwell. One of my favourite books this year, so good I read it twice, without taking a breath in between.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woodsmoke is a collection of poems told in the voice of Posey Green, a widower who reflects on the life he has lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains since the day he was born.

I've always lived in sight of Pisgah's crown...
In the shadow of the mountain my father said was mother to us all.

The poems are told in verse and have a narrative style to them and, being a poetry-challenged reader, is likely why I connected with them more than I usually do when I read poetry.

I love the voice that author Wayne Caldwell gave Posey. It reflected the beauty of southern Appalachia so effectively. I did not want this collection to end, which is a rare thing for me to say when it comes to poetry. Thankfully, I have the companion collection, River Road: Poems, on my nightstand. A HUGE thank you to Diane B. for introducing this absolute gem to me!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to be reading a poetry collection this year but I’m very glad this was a moderators choice in On the Southern Literary Trail group here on GR. Great time of year to read it as folks are settling down for cold winter.

This collection of poems hits the spot for relatability, coziness, easy going, warm and welcoming. 4 stars. I enjoyed this very much.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you aren’t a poetry fan, ignore that description and replace it with chapter book. It’s a perfect, comforting read. The “chapter” titled Woodsmoke was a standout that may have caused some tears. A well done collection.

https://youtu.be/HI7E2nNByZo

[Keli McNeill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poems in Woodsmoke paint a picture of a simple life in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We meet Posey, who honestly reminds me of my grandpa with the way he says words and how wood is such an important part of his life. I enjoyed reading this little book and the connection that I felt to my Blue Ridge family as I read.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute delight is this small set of poems, capturing the character of a magical place that has been disappearing over the past number of years, as tourism, burgeoning industrialization of the old South and the hurry-up ethos of our modern world finds its way into these mountain groves.
Caldwell has created for us the perfect spokesman for that world, the aging mountain man Posey Green, ably supported by a younger neighbor who understands and treasures Posey as friend and, in a sense an artifact of Appalachia. The opening poem, a paean to the mountain and Posey’s heritage, sets the scene within which Posey reminisces and muses on his present life and likely demise. The gathering, preparation and use of firewood forms a central theme, but all that is really an extended metaphor for an ethic, a way of life that soon will be no more. I found several of the poems deeply moving. In a way, they remind me of much that has been written by Wendell Berry; in my mind, that places Wayne Caldwell in very fine company.
It’s been well over 30 years since I last had occasion to visit that country in and around Asheville NC but even back then, the landscape was changing, along with its people.
This is a kind of poetry that is likely to appeal to many people who otherwise seldom read or appreciate poetry. It’s seldom that I encounter a book of poetry where I not only read and enjoy every poem but find myself re-reading many of them several times to savor them over again.
Thanks again to a couple of my Goodreads friends for pointing the way to this marvelous book!

[KayG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, inventive book of poetry. There’s plenty of grit, nostalgia, and quirkiness in these poems - I loved them.

[Irma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful slim volume of southern mountain poems. A good book to keep near at hand for a poem once in awhile. Maybe I’ll figure out which are my favorite ones.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Woodsmoke creates a portrait of a live well lived and focuses on a few specific months, when Posey is readying himself for a transition. The motif of wood, and all that means to Posey, beautifully unifies the narrative.

[Terry Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful recreation of an Appalachian world that is slipping through our fingers even as we read. Wayne Caldwell's Posey Green is a wonderful combination of ancient ways and hard-won wisdom. The moment I finished this collection of poems told in Posey's voice (along with a few "modern" lyrics from his new neighbor), I turned back to the beginning of Woodsmoke and began again. Try reading this gem of a collection one poem per day, so you can slow down and savor the taste and smell and texture of these wonderful poems.

[Belinda Guerette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the language and the images he puts together: “Look yonder, hard through the winder At the flame. See them horns? Tail? Old Scratch just a-grinning at you. I swanee, there’s a devil in ever fire.” and “Always was a comfortable house. It sighs and creaks like it has opinions.“ The lightning bugs and the walks with Birdie. Yes. It is poetry, but it reads like prose. It's a Win/Win. I felt successful for reading some poetry and enjoyed the prose feel of the language. I felt like I was right there with them. I loved Cataloochee and Requiem by Fire, so I will definitely be getting River Road.

[Zuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best poetry collection I’ve read all year, these poems tell a story of place, work, love, family, neighborliness. And Posey Green leaps to life immediately from the very first lines.
Wonderful to read this prose-poetry story of a man’s life spanning the 20th C in the mountains of western NC while also reading The Land Breakers - these two books go well together.

[Mallory Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both heart-warming and bittersweet. An important perspective beautifully written in that old familiar language that evokes a sense of nostalgia and puts me right back into my grandparent's mountain home, where many of my summers as a young girl were spent.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I’m not a poetry reader and read this as part of a GR book club. This is really special and as one reviewer said, reads like a book. I adore Posey. I adore the poems bringing forth a time and place that is sadly mostly in the past. I’m glad to know the author has another book coming out soon.

[Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going back and forth on what to rate this collection. Ultimately, I’m confident rating it just three stars. It’s a cute story that’s told in prose and while I think it’s well written, I just don’t see it living with me the way I want poetry to.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the sweetest thing. And I loved it anyway. Poetry is not normally what I reach for, but this book is just so charming I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend!

[Gary Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry that is filled with soul. Written with an earthiness, while deep like John Leax or Mary Oliver. Totally refreshing.

[Ewelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beautiful collection of poems. They told a story of a simple life lived by a man who enjoyed the way things were done before machines. He loved nature and missed his wife. The poems made you connect to him and understand the beauty of the world he lived in.