At times somber, but brutally honest, Nomads on a Barren Plain: Poems on Life and Loss examines dying and grief through the lens of individual moments, both illusory and real. In this collection, Michelle Spaw draws on historical events and personal experience to ponder what happens after we die, and the journey taken by both the soul and those left behind after the passing of a loved one.
Vivid descriptions include otherworldly imagery: a Viking ship set ablaze, the cave of a shaman, hieroglyphs in a pharaoh's tomb. Selections such as "History" and "Tending Grief" discuss memories and mourning in the more down to earth settings of a garden and a field of playing children.
An artist and designer by trade, Kansas City native Spaw never intended to write a collection of poetry. Shortly after the sudden death of her husband, she turned to painting as therapy to work through her loss, but when a friend suggested she try writing poetry in addition to her artwork, she discovered an unexpected creative outlet and a new expression for her grief emerged.
During what she calls a session of "meditative mark making," a type of channeling occurred; thoughts and phrases came forward in unforeseen ways, an alternative emotional vocabulary, as if the layering of paint prompted the layering of words and with it, an understanding that grief (while new to her) is as ancient as time itself. Consider "Pompeii," where two lovers share a final glance, and "The Mariner's Widow," written from the perspective of a woman standing on the deck of a ship, trying to comfort the ghosts of sailors, men who perished in a naval disaster.
Other offerings are more personal in nature, as in "Forget Me Not," a bittersweet homage in remembrance of her husband, with a subtle nod to his fondness for novels, and "Reunion," where she imagines the spirits of her parents meeting again on the other side after many years apart.
However dark some of the subject matter appears, Spaw recognizes a certain light within the pain, as in "Forgiveness," where she shares her belief that no event, however traumatic, is completely one-sided. Strength can come from suffering, an almost-magical power lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered and used like a talisman. "Transition" and "Hourglass" provide the reader with Spaw's reflections on her own passing and eventual resting place, where she conveys acceptance of life's journey and the natural course of events.
Influenced by a variety of writing styles, including Daniel Ladinsky's translations of the works by 14th century Persian poet Hafiz, Spaw employs a minimalist approach with storytelling, using short verses and contained language that often reveals a spiritual and impressionistic tone.
Ultimately, Nomads on a Barren Plain: Poems on Life and Loss encompasses more than observations about loss. It is about letting go of the past, not only of those we have loved, but those who have hurt us, and finding a way to honor and appreciate the lessons we have learned, the paths we have walked, and the things that make us who we are.
