As a milkweed pod bursts with filaments, a muskrat carves a solitary path across a pond, and a woman and her lover meet in a field of Sandhill cranes at dusk—she is there. In this collection of poems, Vesely shares the legacy, land, and people who have shaped her life. From the sweeping prairies of Nebraska to the wooded hills of her Iowa home, she invites readers into her world, encouraging them to see with fresh eyes. As keeper of the watch, she focuses on the ordinary things and experiences that matter deeply.
Keeping Watch on Soap Creek by Shannon Vesely celebrates the small moments that offer big rewards.
My Thoughts
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Keeping Watch on Soap Creek is the kind of book you want to return to every so often, just to savor the images and thoughts the words call up. The chapters are on Provenance, Prairie Legacy: The Photography of Solomon D. Butcher (these are especially compelling), Feathers, Holy Ground, Letters from Soap Creek (in response to writings of other authors), and Endings–with the winsome A Prairie Blessing as the poet’s last offering.
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The theme of Shannon Vesely’s poems is discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary by looking more closely at what others may ignore or disregard. And a new lens through which to view the Midwest. These poems do exactly that.
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Shannon Vesely
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Shannon is a retired English teacher who’s written thousands of words in the margins of student compositions. Now, she’s writing the poems she carried in her head for decades. Her debut collection, The Way of Things, won the Nebraska Book Award for Poetry in 2022. She received an MA in English from the University of Nebraska-Kearney where she was named an outstanding alumnus..
Her blog celebrates the uncommon value of common things. Shannon resides in rural Iowa where she shares an acreage with her husband, an army of farm cats, and a pond of well-fed catfish.
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Thanks to John Busbee for introducing us to this poet and her book in this 15-minute interview on The Culture Buzz.
A terrific review, Joy. Congratulations to Shannon
Thank you, John.
Shannon’s book sounds like one I’d enjoy.
Thank you, Liz. It was a winsome surprise. I remember where I was when I first opened the book! (Doctor’s office, but it was so refreshing.)
You’re welcome, Joy.
It’s good to read your great thoughts on Keeping Watch on Soap Creek by Shannon Vesely, Joy.
Thanks so much, Tim.
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Another talented author from Iowa! Good luck to you, Shannon! Thanks for the review, Joy. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy. I hope I can connect with her someday. I usually pass poetry books on, but I’m hanging on to this one.
Wonderful review!!! Congratulations to Shannon!
Thank you, Linda. I’m so thankful I discovered her!