The keenly observed poems in Little Mercy are meditations on the magic of paying attention, of immersing oneself in the rhythms of a wren visiting her nestlings, of noticing the morning sun seeming to revolve around a daisy, or delighting in the the finer points of the letter "j." There's a self-consciousness to the poems. In multiple places, the speaker mentions considering some writing choice--say, how to describe the color of a worm--then goes on to make the choice. It's an expressed uncertainty that's vulnerable and appealing, and yet adds to the sense of inner turmoil roiling just beneath the surface of all the vivid nature imagery. In this collection, the solace that nature has to offer filters through grief and pain on its way to the page--and it becomes richer and more textured in the process.

Little Mercy is a joy to read. The poems are accessible, and there are flashes of memorable poetic language throughout. Because of some funky formatting in my digital review copy, it was hard to tell where one poem ended and the next one began, but that ended up working just fine for me. You really can read and enjoy the collection as one extended book-length poem.

My thanks to NetGalley and Graywolf Press for providing me with a copy of Little Mercy in exchange for my review.

I loved these nature poems. I felt instantly transported to outside, watching the wind on leaves and the birds in the trees. These poems were easy to read and I think would be easy for any reader, especially ones who don’t normally read poetry.

Thanks to NetGalley and Graywolf Press for a copy of this ARC!