Gabrielle Yetter started writing poetry on a spring morning in March, 2020. The world had just gone into lockdown and life felt frightening, dark, and hopeless.
She was on a bicycle ride and the morning was misty, chilly and damp. Then, suddenly, the sun broke through, the air warmed, and the clouds scattered. Thus came the inspiration for her first poem (and the name of the collection): And The Clouds Parted .
Her journey continued as she witnessed the pain of a friend who lost her partner to Covid ( Moving On), observed peoples’ obsession with mobile devices in a vaccination clinic ( Disconnected), and watched news of atrocities around the world ( Left Behind and Sunflowers of Hope).
She studied frail, elderly women who seemed to be invisible ( Nobody), young men who were often thought threatening ( Buddy), old men hunting for bargains ( Like Him), people with their beloved pets ( Dog Days), and fathers anticipating the arrival of their children ( Waiting).
She watched people who often went unnoticed and imagined what their lives might be like. In them, and in her surroundings, she saw beauty and promise. And hope for a better tomorrow.
If you are lucky, you discover a book you didn't know you absolutely needed. Such is the case with a new book by one of our favorite writers, Gabrielle Yetter.
Her new collection of poetry, And the Clouds Parted, is gorgeous, both in word and illustration.
As a photographer we learn to paint with light in order to tell a story or to capture a moment in time to keep memories alive. Depending on the perspective; tones and hues we create mood to amplify the subject. Gabrielle Yetter does the same thing with words. She places herself in situations and quietly observes, then using the tones and these unique perspectives she keeps the memories alive and vivid. Her experiences accumulated from her travels reveal themselves throughout her work, normally with an unexpected twist - quite beautiful and soulful really….. The aspect I love the most is Gabrielle’s continual reference to light - maybe she herself is unaware of this, until now. It is always there woven into her writings and until you grasp the role that light and shadow play in all of our lives - it is difficult to understand the importance of what this incredible poet has managed to portray. I will certainly treasure this collection.
The temptation to use colour to emphasise the melancholy of some of these poems might have tempted Lucy Dean when she paired up with Gabrielle in this journey. In fact the cover is in purple and as an artist I have no doubt there was intent in that choice. Lucy shows extreme skill as she sets the backdrop for the poetry with intriguing, finely-detailed shadows on the page - emphasising the fact that Gabrielle is merely a spectator in the live’s of her subjects as opposed to being part of the scene.
So nothing could be more powerful that the opening line of the entire book: “I noticed you”… enjoy the read!
‘And the clouds parted’ is a book consisting of a collection of poetry written with care and the intention to let you in the author’s world. When the world went into lockdown, everything changed. People were lost, most things became electronically dependable, and the author observed many things which she decided to use as inspiration for the book at hand. As you begin to read, you sense every word and understand all that is meant to be felt. Every page has an illustration and purpose, making the read even more enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed ‘Being Six’ because it reminisced all the feelings I sometimes have when I want to go back again to when I was young, and things were simpler that way.
I believe the book cover was well thought out and represented the content inside. It is apparent to see the author has thought well and deeply about what she is presenting.
In my opinion, poetry is all about presence, flow and feeling. This book possessed all three. I recommend this book to those who like to read relatable material and enjoy thoughtful writing.
Gabrielle Yetter ‘sees’ the spaces and the people around her. She absorbs the mood, intuits the emotions at the core, and then transforms it, with her beautiful words and syntax, into a song on paper, cradling every subtle nuance of human emotion.
I’ve cried and then by the end of the verse, laughed – I’ve squirmed because I recognise- rejoiced because there is such relief and such understanding- and then read it again to re-live the sensation…
Gabi highlights the human condition in all it’s sometimes inglorious messiness, though still radiating a joyous calm magnanimity when it’s aligned, and then back to a raging self-absorbed chaos when it’s not. Her poems make you want to shout out in affirmation, “YES! that’s how it goes, how it works, how it feels, how I want to behave, what I’m striving for, why? who is this, what am I……...?”
What a gift to be able to do this with the words one chooses and strings together, and with the sentiment and thoughts one wishes to encourage and birth – music can do this, and so do Gabi’s poems.
Gabi has seen a lot of the earth we call home; meeting so many interesting people with fascinating and sometimes tragic stories – she’s sharing all this with us through every beautifully poignant word she puts to work, to unlock and open up. Do yourself a HUGE favour and read Gabi’s poetry – you’ll soar💛
Well done on this beautiful collection and thanks to Gabi for letting us in and opening us up.
I am not someone who typically chooses to read poetry. I sometimes feel like poetry is over my head or I’m not “creative and artsy” enough to understand poetry. But, when author Gabrielle Yetter approached me about reading her poetry collection written during the lockdown related to COVID I was intrigued. I had previously read and reviewed her book, Whisper of the Lotus, a story of a young woman who travels to Cambodia to see a friend, revealing a whole new mystery about her life.
This poetry collection came from Yetter’s observations during the lockdown, the loneliness in others, the desperation, and how people attempted to adjust to a new normal. The collection is short, with just 30 poems, but they are honest and full of emotion. I read this collection right at the end of the year and it also offered an opportunity for reflection, especially in regard to my relationships with others and how I see people in my everyday experiences.
“Days crawl by like molasses Dragging her With agonizing listlessness, One excruciating minute to the next From a world that used to exist To one that vanished beneath a blanket of gloomy fog. The day he went.” - Gabrielle Yetter, “Empty Days” from AND THE CLOUDS PARTED
The poems are lyrical, full of emotion, honest, and real, and evoke images of our own struggles during times of loneliness and isolation. Each poem connected with me in some way and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the lyrical way of writing. It reminded me a bit of writing a story in six words…saying so much in just a few words and I think that is what Yetter has done. She has packed a story, full of emotion, into just a few sentences and yet evokes a wide range of emotions and thoughtfulness.
I am glad Yetter encouraged me to give her poetry collection a try and it may have just sparked a renewed interest in poetry.
Gabrielle Yetter has a unique way of using words in this eclectic collection of poetry that gives the reader colorful pictures to reflect on. Kudos to the illustrator, Lucy Dean, who creatively uses images that add to the messaging within the poetry.
I found myself engaged in each poem thinking about my own life and how I see everything that happens every day.
Through Gabrielle's poems, any reader can take a journey that will move, touch and inspire them.
I loved this book and have immediately ordered another as a gift for a friend who I know will treasure it too. Gabriel writes with such extraordinary insight as to how us humans live, love, grieve, laugh and above all, relate to, and communicate with each other - or not, as the case may be! She is gifted with the ability to write such pictures with her profound words, and my emotions responded immediately. I smiled, I grimaced, I cried and I laughed in equal measure. Thank you Gabriel for sharing your remarkable way with words with us. If this is your first poetry book, I can’t wait for the next!
I ordered this the moment it was released as I had been reading Gabi's mindful, kind and insightful poetry since she started sharing it with the world during lockdown. Heartfelt, poignant and a great book with lovely illustrations to have by your bed for daily dose of poetry. One of my favourites is "Nobody"
Reading this poetry evokes such a range of emotions. One is transported to familiar situations & the simplicity of the writing creates an easy flow from one poem to the next. Positivity creeps in even where there is sadness.
The delightful illustrations by Lucy Dean truly enhanced the words woven by the Author.
A book to buy and keep near to enjoy again and again. After the first reading - the anticipation turning the pages - and then, the joy of absorbing the wisdom at a more leisurely pace.
Gabrielle Yetter has the ability to put her day-to-day observations in life into beautiful poetry. Sometimes dreamy, sometimes truthfully harsh but all brought with a cover of love. Very powerful. The poems are beautiful, meaningful and touched my heart. Highly recommended reading. The illustrations by Lucy Dean are a perfect fit for each.