Ah, Where the Light Shines Through, by Patricia Waak (Brazil 1966-68)

Review

This self- published book of poetry by former Peace Corps Volunteer, Patricia Waak, will appeal to those who wish to commune with nature through words. It begins with the hope of changing seasons and ends with thoughts on growing old. The author, in lyrical phrasing, writes about the weather, plants, insects, and wildlife of the countryside of Colorado, where she is content in her natural world.

Many of the 68 poems depict weather in changing seasons, and how light, wind, and snow affect the author’s spirit. “Crystal” is used frequently and found in trees, grass, and clouds. Besides insects such as moths and dragonflies, animals like coyotes, dogs, birds, chickens, and a lizard appear sometimes in rhyme, sometimes not. The most memorable and relatable pieces are about the inevitability of aging.

This work is recommended for city-dwellers who long to recall the natural world of wide-open spaces, and for country dwellers who can revel in the nature outside their doors.

Ah, Where the Light Shines Through is available on Amazon

About the reviewer

Evelyn LaTorre served in Peru (1964-66) and married a native from the Andes. Her first book, Between Inca Walls, won the 2021 Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award and a first place Hearten Award from Chanticleer International Book Awards. Her second book, Love in Any Language: A Memoir of a Cross-Cultural Marriage won a Book Excellence Award and a five-star Readers Choice rating. Dr. LaTorre and her husband live in the San Francisco Bay Area and return to Peru to volunteer with the Peruvian American Medical Society. Her articles and podcasts are on her website.

Her books are available there or on Amazon @ amzn.to/38IYqMI