Brushstrokes: 30 Poems

by Kate Rose

Kate Rose's poetry is influenced by rural south-west France, where she has lived for the past 10 years. She finds the countryside a place of of loneliness, death and destruction but also of kindness and hope. The desperate protagonists in ' Golden Cow' , who fail to provide comfort to the mother of the dead calf. The cabbage whites and ryegrass in ' Disappearance' are discordant with the despair of the tractor driver. Yet the neighbour in ' Below the mountains' , despite hardships, provides hope in her gift of cheese; the walker in ' Voice' rekindles a precious friendship she thought long gone. Kate uses seascapes, cities, the countryside as the settings for her poems. Her descriptions use few words, yet enable the clear visualisation of the woods, seasons, light, the colour of the sea. It is in these places that she explores her key themes. In the ghostly ' Transient' , shadows play tricks on the mind. Trauma is personified in ' Shadow' as it stalks the narrator. Kate explores estranged families in ' Bloods ties' and ' Being Fred' , contrasting the cruelty of one boy with the new consciousness of the other, both poems filmic in their images. In ' When it's time to go' , she uses a walk in the woods to explore loneliness and loss. In ' Fortified' she distinguishes between the damp of Leeds and an amber bay, to reveal the longing of a lonely traveller. Images and sensory details permeate her work. In ' Garlic and Roast Tomatoes', the football thumping against the ancient walls of Santa Croce in Florence provides a sense of normality and light to the lovers in the cold church. Yet in the darkest of places, we find hope. The snowberries revitalising a love affair in ' Propagating' . Her tender poem ' Study ' showing us a young daughter's observations of her father's anxiety. The children's singing in ' Aftermath' . Reading Kate's poems forces readers to confront the very nature of their being. Memories, broken dreams, abandoned plans which they might choose to forget in their busy lives. Yet here she gently and persuasively helps her readers to reconnect the positives of their past to shape their futures.

42 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2022

About the author

Kate Rose received her B.A. in Visual Arts Education and an M.S. in Clinical Art Therapy from Springfield College while volunteering in the AmeriCorps Program as a leader of youth programming in an inner-city environment. Her Master's thesis focused on ways to develop the self-esteem of adolescent girls. She worked as an Art Therapist with children who have severe social and emotional disorders for over ten years before beginning her writing and adult counseling career.
Kate has published over 1k articles on the topics of love, relationships, family, parenting, divorce, sex, astrology, and twin flames since March 2015. Kate enjoys interacting with her world-wide readership on a daily basis through various social media platforms such as UnEdited her newsletter, blog posts, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the articles she regularly publishes on YourTango and Elephant Journal.
She has also built a private international coaching practice specializing in relationships and women's empowerment along with leading retreats around the globe. Kate lives in the Hidden Hills of Massachusetts with her daughters; Emma, 13, Abigail, 9 and seizes as many chances as she can to learn through love.

To learn more about Kate and connect with her directly visit her website: www.wordsofkaterose.com

Reviews

[S.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Brushstrokes - Thirty Poems” is the second book of Kate Rose’s poems I have read - and it is just as thought provoking, insightful, and eye-opening as the first book.

In ‘Brushstrokes’ Kate Rose’s poems seem, to me, a much more personal journey; with titles such as ‘Recalling Miriam’, ‘Soul’, and ‘When It’s Time To Go’ to name a few. Her thirty poems cover aspects of life that one may not necessarily want to cover or delve into.

I have always thought, and felt that poetry, whether you write your own, or read other’s works - means different things to different people. With poetry, there is no right or wrong, no left or right, it just ‘IS’.

Once again, I would recommend this book of poetry to those who enjoy moments of wonder, relaxation, and contemplation. Is there an age for this? You decide.