Synopsis "A Seagull Lunch and Other Nature Poems (in English)"
Many poems in this book are simple descriptions of the wonders of nature. Some address the tragedy of nature's suffering caused by human thoughtlessness and negligence. Others are a response to the magical change of seasons, a cycle that transforms the colors of the earth's foliage, bringing the advent of animals' change of habitats, along with hurricanes, monsoons, and other storms. From one season to the next, the earth bears fruit, yields crops, and its meadows bloom. Many of the poems are from real-life experience, while others are products of imagination peaked by nature's numerous and precious gifts for enjoyment, sustenance, and preservation. Some of these poems offer words of caution about human carelessness in preserving nature and its wonders. Does one ever pause to consider what it would be like without the advent of autumn, or any other season? Yet, the truth is that in some parts of the world seasons are already disappearing. These poems stress that we cannot stand idly by when there is proven scientific evidence that destructive climate change is a reality: disappearance of some island nations, loss of farm land, steady crumbling of glaciers and ice caps, and the demise of sea life. They plead: Save our planet! ""These delightful poems are fresh, joyful, and wise. You won't look out your window upon a robin or take a walk in the woods in the same way after an encounter with these poems."" --Will Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC ""S T Kimbrough, Jr. is a remarkable observer. . . . He also loves to celebrate the unexpected side of nature, the quirky and sometimes comic side of animal behavior. Above all, however, his urge to write nature poetry comes from a passionate desire to counter the effects of climate change, of what he calls in one section 'Nature's Demise.'"" --Richard Watson, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Durham, UK ""Like the psalmist, S T praises God and expresses gratitude for the gifts of creation available for the nourishment of body and soul with beautiful descriptions that appeal to all human senses. At the same time he emphasizes the responsibilities of humans in the 'need for rebirth' of God's great gift."" --Joyce D. Sohl, Laywoman in Residence, Scarritt Bennett Center, Nashville, TN S T Kimbrough, Jr. holds a PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary and is currently a research fellow of the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He is author of the following books by Wipf & Stock: The Lyrical Theology of Charles Wesley; Radical Grace: Justice for the Poor and Marginalized; Partakers of the Life Divine: Participation in the Divine Nature in the Writings of Charles Wesley; May She Have a Word with You: Women as Models of How to Live in the Poems of Charles Wesley; and two books of poetry: Why Should a Child Be Born? Poems for Peace and Justice in the Middle East and Of Death and Grief: Poems for Healing and Renewal. He has also published poetry in Theology Today.
