Spill

by Michael Chitwood

Spill is a book of spiritual yearning, grounded in the here and now of airport terminals, the backyard, a rainy morning, and a broken-down church van.""-Michael Chitwood With finely honed, vibrant imagery, this poet chisels away at the mundane and unearths the miraculous in his eighth poetry collection. The book is divided into three Chitwood's distinctive vision begins simply, as he evokes an Appalachian upbringing mired in pious certainty and yet haunted by spiritual craving. We follow the pilgrim's path in the following segment, as he attempts to wring holiness from the merely terrestrial, finding only fleeting glimpses of the divine. The final section turns contemplative, as the speaker tries to comprehend the course he has taken and find solace and wisdom in his journey. Chitwood's verse is sharp, spare, and unpretentious, wonderfully surprising and yet deeply profound. Words are neither wasted nor superfluous; he never forgets that this is an honest conversation with the reader, and he uses the common tongue and humor of a man in thoughtful dialogue with his fellow creatures.

Genres: Poetry

61 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can taste Virginia in these poems. I'm especially fond of the dog poems.

[Sandra McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this book this winter after a few years of it sitting on my shelf as a fond memory. Re-reading it I remember why I liked it so much. Chitwood writes like a deep river...calm on the surface, but a strong undercurrent of emotion moves you through the book. Oh how I enjoyed being carried away. The design of the book is also perfect for these longer, narrow poems that spill down the page like the cover image. I will return to this one again and again.