Meet poet and author D. Avery plus review
Posted: September 26, 2020 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: Author Interview, Book Review, D. Avery, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read 60 Comments
Today, I am delighted to welcome poet and author D. Avery. Ms Avery is the creator of the fun and well-known characters Kid and Pal who frequent Carrot Ranch Literary Community She also has her own blog where she shares her flash fiction, poetry and other literary endeavours. You can find her blog here: https://shiftnshake.wordpress.com/.
At first I was thrilled to be asked to participate in Treasuring Poetry with Writing to be Read and Robbie Cheadle. Then I read the questions! Too hard! Actually, I misread the questions and was flustered enough to consider who my favorite poet might be, let alone poem.
Robbie’s questions led me down many a rabbit hole, but perhaps not so many as I might have if I were under the same roof as my collection of poetry books. I’m not, so I let my mind travel and recall those shelves and what I have read lately. Often times my favorite poet or poem is simply the one in front of me, so recently I have enjoyed Conrad Aiken and Mary Oliver. But a favorite poet?
Still mistakenly contemplating a poet as opposed to a poem, and still unable to name just one, I at least realize I tend to most admire traditional Japanese poetry as well as the work of Rumi and of Hafiz. I like a short poem that makes me say, “Ah!” or even “Awe…” then “Ha!” If I could peruse my shelves I’d give my favorite examples, probably from a book called Japanese Death Poems; either that or I’d be lost in re-reading that treasure. As it is, this assignment got me re-reading Hafiz’s The Gift, translated by Daniel Ladinsky, and from that I came to see that many of Mary Oliver’s poems are in that Sufi vein, poems that, like Hafiz, are conversational yet intimate, not just with the reader, but with the subject, God. Now there’s a rabbit hole. But closer to home and in some ways more comfortable for their hominess are the poems of Robert Frost. He too writes with the wit and wisdom, often with a quiet humor, that I admire in the Sufis. Here are two lines from the New England bard:
We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the secret sits in the middle and knows.
Robert Frost poems are accessible yet have subtleties and layers that can provide that ‘Ah ha’ that gives a poem staying power. As well as displaying an understanding of the spiritual aspects of his world Frost’s poems also reveal a keen observer’s eye for nature. There are many examples, and I never tire of reading Frost, but a favorite poem? I will not choose a favorite. But here are forty-eight syllables in eight lines, Nothing Gold Can Stay:
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Some will say this poem is about impermanence and the fleeting nature of time. Leaves certainly change their hues in Frost’s New England, and he shows that he has observed this deeply, daily, for the emerging and unfolding leaves of spring and early summer cannot simply be called green, they are in fact shades of yellow and gold, and those might be preceded by cream and yellow flowers. Ah, he’s so observant. And dawn begins golden; “dawn goes down” makes one think of sunset, but it is just day, a day less sparkly than the golden dawn that begat it perhaps. Yes, time flies, but there is much implication in this poem of falling. So Eden sank to grief/ So dawn goes down to day/ Nothing gold can stay. There is nothing extraneous in this short poem; Eden sinking to grief is intentional, making this poem about humanity’s separation from nature, our fall from our golden potential when we were green and new in the world. This poem, without explicitly using seasonal words, has spring and fall entwined, so while that does show the fleeting nature of time, it is also a reminder of the seasons of our lives, and the hues we hold, the hues we live and die by. Just now in Frost’s old stomping grounds the leaves are turning back from summer greens to fall golds, and those colorful autumn leaves will fall, (for nothing gold can stay), but I wonder if that last line offers a bit of hope, the potential of knowing bright hues once more before the onset of winter.
I hope that addresses well enough the first three questions. As far as writing like any well-known poet, I choose— me! But I am not a well-known poet…
I admire many poets and many styles. I think any poet whom we admire is worth examining and, to an extent, imitating. That is what many of the poetry writing prompts do, they encourage us to try out different forms and styles of poetry, to pay attention to syllables and rhyme schemes and such. I sometimes see a form or style that is new to me and try it as a challenge and to learn something new. It’s all good, as long as you are building your own poeming muscles and not trying to write someone else’s poem. We tend to follow the recipe the first time we make a new dish. But then we get flexible and make the dish our own. In poeming too, we are aware that ours isn’t the only way to express the ingredients we find to hand, and we should want to find our own voice. In many ways free verse is the most challenging and difficult poetic form for me. How do you know when it’s done, if it’s done right, if there are no “rules”? That having been said, I am not against bending or even breaking the rules, but they have to be there in the first place for that to work.
Since I was nine years old I have occasionally been blessed by the magical balm of someone saying, “I liked your poem”. It’s a huge thing. I am not a singer or dancer or a visual artist. But sometimes I make pictures with words, and sometimes those words have a rhythm and a cadence or a tone that works, that strikes a chord. It is good to feel like a poem has performed well. And I have come to truly appreciate all the other lesser-known (not yet household names) poets that put their work out on their blogs. From you all I have learned so much and have been shown the great potential and creativity of poeming, and the assurance that poetry is alive and well.
D. Avery
My review of For the Girls by D Avery
This is the first book of poetry by D. Avery I have read and it was a wonderful experience. For the Girls really spoke to me as it is about the path of breast cancer many women walk. By reading these poems, I was able to follow this traumatic journey from diagnosis, through treatment and to remission for many, and death for a few.
The poems in For the Girls capture the concerns aroused by potential discover, the shock of a malignant diagnosis, the support offered by some of the staff at the treatment clinics and the comfort of firm friendships. The also disclose the pain of emotional upheaval being ignored and staff treating a patient with kind impatience.
Some of the verses/poems that struck me the most in this books are as follows:
“Unless.
Some of us have to get them off our chests.
And learn living without them.
Except.
Some, dear friends, couldn’t live.
With or without them.”
from The Girls
“There’s another intruder who lacks
Even the decency of mice or rats
that at least show themselves at night
To show they’ve been in the house all along,
only sometimes out of sight.
Why would you suspect your own house?
Relax, there’s nothing, or maybe only a mouse.
Why would you suspect there’s something there
Quiet as anxiety, maybe under the stairs
or up in the attic, just biding its time
A squatter in the house you blithely call “mine”?
from Intrusion
This collection of poems is freestyle and very bitter sweet. The insightfulness of the poet brought tears to my eyes and brought back memories of ladies I’ve known who’ve walked this same frightening path.
Purchase For the Girls by D Avery
About D Avery
D. Avery (196?-20??) has long been a compulsive poet. Despite a very important day job educating public school children, she is often distracted by this compulsion, as well as by life’s great questions, such as “Kayak, or bike?”. Though she has come to realize that nothing difficult is ever easy, she believes that it’s all good.
About Robbie Cheadle
Hello, my name is Robbie, short for Roberta. I am an author with six published children’s picture books in the Sir Chocolate books series for children aged 2 to 9 years old (co-authored with my son, Michael Cheadle), one published middle grade book in the Silly Willy series and one published preteen/young adult fictionalised biography about my mother’s life as a young girl growing up in an English town in Suffolk during World War II called While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with my mother, Elsie Hancy Eaton). All of my children’s book are written under Robbie Cheadle and are published by TSL Publications.
I have recently branched into adult and young adult horror and supernatural writing and, in order to clearly differential my children’s books from my adult writing, I plan to publish these books under Roberta Eaton Cheadle. My first supernatural book published in that name, Through the Nethergate, is now available.
I have participated in a number of anthologies:
- Two short stories in #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Dark Visions, a collection of horror stories edited by Dan Alatorre;
- Three short stories in Death Among Us, an anthology of murder mystery stories, edited by Stephen Bentley;
- Three short stories in #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Nightmareland, a collection of horror stories edited by Dan Alatorre; and
- Two short stories in Whispers of the Past, an anthology of paranormal stories, edited by Kaye Lynne Booth.
I also have a book of poetry called Open a new door, with fellow South African poet, Kim Blades.
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Blog: robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Twitter: BakeandWrite
Instagram: Robbie Cheadle – Instagram
Facebook: Sir Chocolate Books
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Writing to be Read 
Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:
Today I am delighted to have poet and author D. Avery as my Treasuring Poetry guest. Do come over and read her thoughts on poetry. I have also shared my review of her powerful poetry book, For the Girls.
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Thank you so much for this feature and kind review, Robbie. I enjoyed the impetus to think more about the poetry I read and write from your thoughtful questions.
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Thank you for your lovely response to the questions. I enjoyed this post a great deal and your poetry book is very powerful.
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I am delighted to meet another poet Robbie, thank you for sharing a lovely review of D. Avery’s debut poetry book. Those excerpts are awesome.
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Thank you. This book was my second, actually, put together through lulu.press before I knew what I was doing. Since then it has been a great thing reading the work of others and writing to some of the fine prompts here on the web; poetry is alive, well, and growing.
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I am glad you enjoyed Deanna’s thoughts on poetry, Balroop. I also found her post most interesting and was very moved by her book.
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Reblogged this on ShiftnShake and commented:
Writingtoberead read and reviewed one of my books! Thank you Robbie!
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My pleasure, your book really resonated with me having been through breast cancer with my mother 💖
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Welcome D. Avery. Glad to have you as a guest on “Writing to be Read”. Robbie’s “Treasuring Poetry” series always has something of interest for us, and this month is no different. Your thoughts were quite interesting and I had to smile as I read your response to Robbie’s questions.
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I am delighted to be here! Thank you very much for sharing this space.
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[…] Writingtoberead read and reviewed one of my books! Thank you Robbie! […]
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Reblogged this on Word Craft ~ Prose & Poetry and commented:
A marvelous interview with D. Avery and Robbie Cheadle, both excellent poets in their own right. Enjoy! ❤
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Thank you, Colleen.
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Thank you, Colleen. I am delighted you enjoyed Deanna’s thoughts and ideas.
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Thank you for sharing, Colleen.
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You are most welcome. ❤
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Brilliant interview! Well done, D. Robbie, the book review is excellent. “For the Girls,” sounds like a good poetic read. Thanks so much to both of you. ❤
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Thank you Colleen. Your blog is one of the one’s I was referring to as a place to learn and practice poeming.
Each poem in that collection has a specific face and place for me, and apparently for readers too. The thing that is somewhat unique is that for radiation I had to either fly or take a ferry daily, so what is a fairly quick treatment took a whole morning or longer depending on weather. The result of travel time was this book.
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What an excellent use of your time. I had no idea you had gone through such a tough time. The upside is your creativity has exploded! Look at all the writing you do! Just brilliant. ❤
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Hi Colleen, thanks for the repost. Having walked the cancer path alongside my mother, this poetry resonated strongly with me.
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Thank you, Robbie, for introducing D. Avery with this excellent interview. What a pleasure to read! 😊
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I am glad you enjoyed Deanna’s entertaining and insightful thoughts about poetry, Gwen. Thank you for visiting and commenting.
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Great guest and a fabulous interview, Robbie. Sometimes the questions we answer by mistake tell so much… Thanks for the opportunity to learn more about D. Avery and good luck to her in all her future projects.
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Hi Olga, it is true what you say that sometimes a question makes us reflect deeply and reveals surprising ideas and thoughts. Thanks for visiting.
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Thank you Olga, I appreciate your kind words.
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Thoughtful responses as always. D.never fails to make me think about what she has written. Thanks Robbie. (K)
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My pleasure, Kerfe. I have enjoyed getting to know D a bit better through this interview and also through here clever posts over at Carrot Ranch and on her own site.
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Thank you Kerfe. This was a thought provoking interview, an enjoyable exercise.
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How lovely to meet Deanna here and what a fabulous review for her book. It was so interesting to read her thoughts on time and nature. Toni x
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I also found D’s thoughts to be insightful and interesting, Toni. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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Hi Toni I also found D’s thoughts on poetry to be thought provoking and interesting. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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It’s great to be here! Thank you for reading and for your comments.
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D. possesses an innate jazz song of the free verse poem. I was delighted to read that she likes Hafiz and Frost, and wonder about her opinions of Silverstein and Nash. 😀
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Fun fact about ol’ Shel, he was quite the song writer too, known around Nashville, or maybe everyone knows that, but I knew him first for his children’s poetry, those wonderful books that got kids reading and enjoying poetry. I also love the wit and humor of Nash, who, like Ms. Parker, can cut to the quick in short verse. But for long haul I like the spiritual rootedness of the Sufis and of Frost.
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Excellent points. It depends on what appetite you seek to appease.
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Hi Chelsea, thanks for visiting and commenting. I love what you said here. You’ve described D.’s style perfectly.
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Thanks, Robbie!
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Lovely to see D here today and lovely review Robbie…x
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Hello, Sally. Thank you!
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Thank you, Sally. A powerful book of poetry.
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I wish D good luck with her book. Your review of it I must say was beautifully and sympathetically composed. Leaving just enough to make the reader want to read more, but not revealing too much. Nicely done.
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Thank you for your well wishes. I know that women have left copies of it in their chemo and radiation wards and waiting rooms for others to find and read and that is gratifying. The print copy has extra pages, lined, for readers to write on and add to the book.
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That is a testament to both your writing and the strength of motivation it delivers. X
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Thank you, Ellen. I hope you are doing well.
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Hi Ellen. Thanks for visiting and commenting. 🙂
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It was well earned🤗
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Wow, that was quite a review Robbie, and fantastic piece from D. Avery. Her poems are definitely stirring. Thanks for the feature 🙂 x
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Thank you for coming by and commenting. This is quite a place! I’m thrilled to be featured and reviewed by Robbie.
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Lovely to learn a bit about you and your moving book 🙂
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I am glad you enjoyed D.’s thoughts, Debby. Her book is very powerful.
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No doubts!
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I enjoyed meeting D. Avery through her insightful responses to your questions. I particuarly appreciated her discussion of Robert Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” I’m finding that there are many Frost poems I haven’t previously read. The quotations from For the Girls are excellent. The book must be very moving.
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I’m pleased you enjoyed the Frost poem. He is one that I pick up over and again. Thank you for your kind comments.
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Hi Liz, it is a very moving book, especially if you have experienced cancer in any form among your friends and family. It brought back a lot of memories for me. I am glad you enjoyed D.’s thoughts and poetic insight.
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What an interesting article delving into poetry, favourites and what makes them so, if indeed we are able to choose them. Poetry appeals at different times for different purposes and in different ways. D. certainly has a way with her words and I enjoy the beauty of her images as well as her clever plays on words. Thanks for inviting her over for a serious discussion of poetry, Robbie.
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Hi Norah, thank you for visiting. I really enjoyed learning more about D Avery and her poetry. I was very moved by her book, For the Girls.
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I agree. She is a very talented and clever poet. I like that you belong to a group of contemporary poets, all sharing your works. It’s excellent.
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That was a serious discussion, wasn’t it? I enjoyed this interview very much. As always, I appreciate you coming by and checking it out.
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[…] Frank J. Tassone is revisiting Jisei, or Japanes Death Poems. How delightful! Just the other day I mentioned a book entitled Japanese Death Poems, compiled by Yoel Hoffman, as an all time favorite book of poetry. […]
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[…] Victoria Zigler, Sue Vincent, Annette Rochelle Aben, Christy Birmingham, Kevin Morris, Frank Prem, D. Avery, Geoff Le Pard, and Balroop Singh. Of course, each segment on “Treasuring Poetry” are […]
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