Poems

"Poems" by Iris Tree is a compilation of verses from the beginning of the 1900s that displays a wide array of emotions, such as love and grief, woven within observations of beauty and the conflicts of society during that time. Displaying powerful pictures and thoughtful emotions, readers are pulled into a world where every poem embodies a slice of what it means to be human. The poems explore themes of societal critique, personal desire, and thinking about existence. One piece, "Rockets and Ashes," shows the limits set by how society works and the struggle between being free and doing what everyone expects. Other poems, like "We are the Caretakers of Empty Houses" and "Give me, O God, the power of laughter still," mix images of things falling apart with a desire for beauty and laughter that is filled with hopelessness. The sophisticated language and deep feelings prepare the reader for a collection that calls for soul-searching while also wrestling with the difficulties of life.