I read a lot of poetry. Some of it is to decide whether or not it should appear in a publication or has been posted in a group that I help administer. Best of all is when I read for the pure pleasure of it. Barefoot and Running combines business with pleasure, and for that, I am exceedingly grateful. Several times while reading I stopped in amazement at not only what I read, but how it was written. Brava!

This is a lyrical, thoughtful journey not only to a place but also within the interior life of the poet. Free verse is used in different manners; there is no monotony here. Neither is there any filler. Each of the poems in this short collection is well-chosen and integral to the complete work. Upon finishing, I was left with wanting to read more by the poet.

The concept of "place" is very important to me, and I gravitated toward that in this book. Even if I had never been to Colorado, I would have felt that I had been there when I read these poems.

A few examples of what I mean by the above follow. From "Part 1: Leaving", the poet takes out a roadmap and spreads it over the dashboard:

"My finger traces Colorado. I move west through blank cornfield roads

then mountains and forest." and

"I speed

through smoky towns, past every dirty gas station

across the state line - the line between me

and my inherited sadness."

And the interior journey from the title poem, recalling her great-grandmother:

"Now my heritage is a dead language.

There is no Rosetta Stone for the unrest written in my bones.

My breath begs question. I invent words she would say."

This is a book to read, reflect on it, and return to it again and again, to enjoy the writing, and to travel to the places contained in it. I feel guilty about having read it for free! If you only purchase a limited amount of poetry books, please make sure this on it on your list.