Rose

Kafka said... "We ought to only read books that stab us." Li-Young Lee has stabbed me with "Rose." In these beautifully crafted poems, he has interlaced the past and the present, his Chinese heritage, mother, father, wife...but Oh, his father is so very present. Reading Lee's poetry is like soaking in a warm bath, having a lovely dream, remembering something beautiful. The language dripped inside my ears and at times moved me to tears... His memories about hair... 'The scent of it, hair falling against his face, his skin, brushing it,combing it, braiding it,unbraiding it, hair spilling over, her autumn hair, and finally, caught in his mother's hair. I love these imagages. I love Li-Young Lee for stabbing me in the heart and making me feel. "In my dream I fly past summers and moths, to the thistle caught in my mother's hair, the purple one I touched and bled for, to myself at three, sleeping beside her, waking with her hair in my mouth." -Li-Young Lee-

Li-Young Lee's poems are powerful, beautiful and speak to the humanity in all of us. I marvel at his command of language, the artists eye with which he sees the world, and his ability to share these with the reader. Writing about the mundane, such as his wife's hair or a bag of peaches, memories of his father, or reminisences of being an immigrant, in each poem is a work of art. I strongly recommend this collection of poetry, especially for those who who have read little (or none) poetry - these poems are simple, beautiful and striking - a magnificent collection.

Li-Young Lee's (Lǐ Lìyáng) clarity and skill is emotionally penetrating. His word choice, images, and style makes me feel as though I've experienced the events and feelings he writes about. He has a skill of deliberately embedding a 'silence' that the reader must fill with their own voice. As a result, the reader experiences and 'owns' the poem intimately.

The love to his father. Very moving poems. Needs readers to investigate more to the stories to understand his feelings. I like it.

This collection of poems are a precise journey to sweet ends which bind us all as human beings. I highly recommend his work.

I love this book. Li-Young Lee's poems are so tender, so touching. I feel lifted and soothed when I read his work. His world is a gentle world, and he approaches it with devotion and a spirit of gratitude. I have no doubt that any reader who discovers him will feel just this way.

The book is great. Read Li Young Lee in school and loved it.

Embracing the words, the family, the father tenderly leads me to pause and reflect on my own life. I find great energy in reading his poems and sharing his thoughts and drinking them in. Thank you for this gift.

me decepcionei um pouco

These poems are beautiful meditations on love and especially family love. Lee hardly puts a foot wrong in these often very moving poems about his relationships with his father, mother and wife, and with the natural world.

I was introduced to Li-Young Lee from a podcast and decided to get a copy. Some of the poems resonated with me and reflect about my current family relationship. Although it's an extremely short book, I can say with content that the wilted rose on the cover illustrates the poems you'll discover. I would definitely recommend this book.