Still in Soil: A Collection of New Poems

by Kyle Torke

"Still in Soil explores the body and its cycles to pull together the shards of life by detailing the physical world with deft particulars in lush, dense and rich poems. Throughout, Kyle Torke affirms family life, describing "the small offices of love" such as clean dishes or pieces of cut fruit. Ordinary experiences like taking sons to a soccer field to fly airplanes sustain individual life by linking it to the larger natural world. What other poet "knowing how dark passages require touch" has frozen a dead guinea pig to teach his sons about death? Providing perspective, "memory is the bullet" which penetrates the collection with a dark humor to make it vivid and hard edged. United throughout by passion and an intelligent perceptive mind, the collection reminds us that in spite of family, personal connections, each person is finally alone and left with desires that are not to be fulfilled in this world. Ultimately, however, "the movement of green is the grass bending for spring." The intense and compelling poems in Still in Soil will grab hold first of your mind, then remain in the recesses of your heart." -- Vivian Shipley, four time Pulitzer Prize nominee, editor of Connecticut Review, Distinguished professor at Connecticut State University, and author of twelve collections of poetry.

103 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2006

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still in Soil is a poetic commentary on life, the world around us, and human nature. The majority of the pieces in this collection are in fragmented prose form as if the author's thoughts magically appeared upon the page as the ideas flowed. This style creates the feeling of ease (despite the obvious time and effort put into these masterful poems) and sharing on a deep personal level that many poets can never hope to achieve.

The themes held within Still in Soil vary from contemporary situational and personal experiences to more timeless pieces that illustrate some facet of universal truth or some gem of insight into humankind as a whole. My favorite poems from this collection were those that were multi-dimensional. At first, the piece appeared to be an everyday, mundane situation but the author's words led to a musing far beyond the realm of that particular situation. I love poetry that challenges me to think beyond the here and now.