Joy

"If there is a book you need to read because you've misplaced your joy over the last few years, this is it. In Joy, despite grief and struggles, Francis Daulerio celebrates what went right-the friend who climbs out through the downstairs window / of my house so not to disturb those gypsy wrens / who built their nest in the Valentine's wreath on our front door, little white flowers / my wife calls starlight / bloom sideways, birds after rain-Yes! And many! Daulerio is my favorite kind of poet-an engaging storyteller who sees the world with a wink and a sideways smile, who keeps track of the moments we've forgotten. How lucky we are he wrote these extraordinary poems to remind us of what we've neglected to notice-the bees / sucking life into every clover flower / low enough for the mower blade to spare, tinny music of an ice cream truck, those fat gray clouds. Joy is full of heart and beauty, and is a book I didn't want to end. And how could I? Daulerio's poems compassionately bring us to a place where we ask ourselves-How do we become the people we'd love? How do we do better? This book is a gift to all and especially those of us who want to be delighted-this is truly a recommended addition to any bookcase."

~ Kelli Russell Agodon, author of Dialogues with Rising Tides (Copper Canyon Press 2021)

"I often forget that poems can heal, poems can teach, and poems can breathe life into the way you see your world. In these pages, Francis Daulerio's gratitude and celebration of life is palpable. The only thing to do after sitting with these poems is to go outside and sink your hands into the dirt and feel the earth's quiet hum. E...