Time and Tide: An Atlas for the Grieving
by Denise Thompson-Slaughter
21 poems ~ 32 pages
Price: $10.00
Publisher: Plain View Press
ISBN 978-1-63210-087-0
To Order: Amazon.com or plainviewpress.com.


ABOUT THE BOOK:


According to Webster’s, an atlas is a “bound collection of maps, tables, and
charts.” In Greek myth, Zeus assigns Atlas to bear the weight of the world on his
shoulders. There is an extensive story about why Zeus gave Atlas such an awful
burden. While Time and Tide: An Atlas for the Grieving, by Denise Thompson-
Slaughter, does not specifically connect these two dimensions of the term “Atlas,”
the poems contained in it implicitly feel the burdens of those who have grieved
with the weight of the world on their shoulders, and continue to grieve in the
aftermath of Covid-19. Maps, tables, and charts can seem cold and distant, yet
their purpose is to show a path, to paint images of places, times, and events. An
atlas rightly used, conveys a fresh perspective on life. Such is the rich content of
this important new collection.


ADVANCE PRAISE:


"The beauty of chapbooks—when done right—and their challenge to the writer is
packing much skill and creativity in a short span of text. Denise Thompson-
Slaughter meets that challenge in Time and Tide and does so while covering a variety
of topics."
—Bill Cushing, author of A Former Life and Music Speaks

“So much has happened over the course of 2020: Covid-19, racial, social, and po-
litical upheaval not seen since the tumultuous years of the 1960s. I have made a
point to read as widely and as well as possible to gain a fresh perspective on the
meaning of this watershed year. Time and Tide has become for me, a compelling
and valued source to that end.”
—Michael Escoubas, author of Images: A Collection of Ekphrastic Poetry


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Denise Thompson-Slaughter is a writer living in Western New York. Originally
from Maryland, she worked her way through college at the University of Mary-
land and Rutgers University, where she earned a B.A. in English. She spent a few
decades after that working as an academic editor, mother, and poet. Her published
work includes nonfiction (Cleaning the Coincidence Closet: Exploring the ‘Inex-
plicable,’ Spirited Muse Press, 2021); three books of poetry: (Time and Tide: An
Atlas for the Grieving, Plain View Press, 2021; Sixty-ish: Full Circle, Spirited
Muse Press, 2017; and Elemental, Plain View Press, 2010), a novella (Mystery
Gifts, Spirited Muse Press, 2018), a couple of short stories, and a handful of brief
memoir pieces.


FROM THE BOOK:


The Clearing
       2020
by Denise Thompson-Slaughter

We learn again what it is like
to be grateful for each sunny day,
each friendly voice or
electronic remembrance.

We have taken too much for granted,
have gotten lost in the forest
without taking time to see the trees,
to measure how far we’ve come—and how fast.

Blinded by the bright light of our
daily scavenger hunts,
constantly seeking the next thing,
we cannot be accused of nostalgia.

But when the world changes,
we again recall our intricate roots,
remember our forebears and our growth,
take time to honor those many we have lost.

The day has come, in this forest glade
to simply appreciate the living of life.



 

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