{"product_id":"in-the-presence-of-absence-paperback-1","title":"In the Presence of Absence - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRichard Widerkehr\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eLana Hechtman Ayers\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Richard Widerkehr's In the Presence of Absence is a book of loss and recovery, grief\u003cbr\u003e and wonder. These are poems informed with clarity and compassion, and a quiet\u003cbr\u003e lyricism in confronting the mortal world, the death of parents, and life-threatening\u003cbr\u003e illness. There is a freshness and ease of manner to Widerkehr's writing and at times\u003cbr\u003e a kind of other worldly aura, 'that strange gift from the other side.' There is as well a\u003cbr\u003e deep gratitude that infuses these poems, that grounds them in the here and now. He\u003cbr\u003e is a poet who has 'been dealt happiness, \/grief, and two wild cards.' And we are the\u003cbr\u003e lucky readers who have been dealt these marvelous poems.\"\u003cbr\u003e --Joseph Stroud. author of Of This World: New and Selected Poems\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"In The Presence Of Absence overflows with musicality, surprising imagery, and\u003cbr\u003e gratitude earned by paying attention to the small moments that make up a reverent\u003cbr\u003e life: 'the black trees reflected in a roadside puddle, ' a mother's slow passing, and\u003cbr\u003e the tenderness with which the poet stands witness to her death, 'I must be true\/\u003cbr\u003e to your story.\/I can't tell it\/one spoonful at a time.' This book details a heart that\u003cbr\u003e is wide open to both the pain and beauty of life. Widerkehr sings Kaddish for his\u003cbr\u003e father, admires bikini-clad women on a resort beach in Mexico, and observes his\u003cbr\u003e own cancer surgery, all the while knowing we are just passing through. We can\u003cbr\u003e learn much from these remarkable poems. As Widerkehr brilliantly says, 'It's time\u003cbr\u003e to make my statement\/ about how certain stars float in the night.'\"\u003cbr\u003e --Gayle Kaune, author of All the Birds Awake\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 88\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.21 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 12, 2017\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51781045420320,"sku":"9781936657308","price":16.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/b7ecae70834bd8c55d1b708397d50338.webp?v=1780541929","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/in-the-presence-of-absence-paperback-1","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}