Significance

Significance: Poems of Small Encounters, is the third poetry collection by contemporary southern poet Karen McAferty Morris, whose work has been described as "appealing to the senses, the intellect, and the imagination." These descriptive and narrative poems express the wonder and meaning of interactions with nature and with common, everyday people inspired by her experiences in Europe, the Caribbean, and the American Southwest and Southeast. There are bees clinging to lavender on the banks of a windy river, discoveries made at an especially low tide, memories conjured by blossoming forsythia, imagination stirred by the small world of moss, a secret river of lilies. Encounters with humble people are told with warmth and sympathy, from a new widow living an apple orchard, an unfortunate woman in a thrift store, a new friend's sudden death while river kayaking, to a troubled man whose house burned down. A sijo, a sonnet, and ekphrastic and prose poetry add even more depth, as do the many beautiful color photographs. Morris' lyrical descriptions of nature and the dignity she attributes to human beings will remain with you. Morris joins the rank of fine contemporary women poets with this collection, an expanded edition of her chapbook which placed in the top three in the National League of American Pen Women's (NLAPW) 2021 Vinnie Ream Medal Competition.