Hand in Hand: Poetry of Passion and Insight for Lovers in Search of That Perfect Relationship

By Russell MacClaren and Em Gee

Hand In Hand . . . Here in over 90 poems, Russell MacClaren takes us to faraway places, holds up a mirror for us to explore our hopes and yearnings. His language spills over with humor, passion and insight. He has mastered the art of exhuming thoughts and feelings each of us has tendered yet are often unaware of. He leads us on a quest to discover who we are and what were made of in hopes we may apply that knowledge to find our Soul Mate.

MacClaren exposes the faceted crystal of Love and Romance, exploring bonds between lovers from five points of view: Hers, His, Duplicity, Departures and Ours.

The third collection of Russell MacClarens poetry is a keepsake. You and your partner will return to favorite poems to reaffirm and refresh your relationship. It is the authors fervent hope that lovers find each otheragain and again. - R. M.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524610562

Russell MacClaren

Australia’s Em Gee provides insightful illustrations to reflect and interpret many of the poems, and Russell MacClaren is proud to share her art.

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© 2016 Featuring the Poetry of Russell MacClaren. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse    05/21/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1055-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1056-2 (e)

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Finding a Soul Mate is an event longed for by dreamers, sought after by suitors and written of by poets—in search of the abiding Oneness that comes to us through Love.

This book embraces truths every man should understand about his woman and realities each woman needs to know about her man. My first understanding of relationships came to me through parents who lived together happily for fifty-four years! Their example was a testament to the upbringing they gave me and brother Dan—an upbringing that fostered love for both genders and diverse ethnicities and ideologies.

Many poems in this work reference man’s reliance on water—the influence rain, rivers, oceans and tides have upon our births and destinies. Other allusions mention blood, tears or the sources of light we connect with—fire, the Sun, the moon, planets, stars, galaxies, as well as the Cosmic Light that shines from within and bonds us to each other.

DEDICATION: This book is dedicated to Justus and Shade Jagger—friends with a single purpose. May their union thrive, and its blessings grow within their daughter who has made her debut into life! She couldn’t have chosen kinder or more understanding parents!

Acknowledgments

This book is made possible by Peggy Heitmann, Judy Casey, Kathleen Burns and Kallie Falandays for their inspired editing, Mark J. Van de Loo for his unparalleled computer expertise and Em Gee for her explicit illustrations. I thank Pepper Worthington of Mount Olive College Press for recognizing my ability with rhyme and rhythm, and I’m indebted to friends at The North Carolina Poetry Society and Friday Noon Poets in Carolina, Poets Alive of Covington Louisiana and the Mad Poets in New Zealand who have encouraged my interest and fascination for verse. Finally and foremost, I am grateful to My Maker for experiences, opportunities, visions, dreams and inspiration that compel me to write.

Dryad appeared previously in ASHVILLE POETRY REVIEW, vol 5, no 1, 1998.

Healer, Love’s Utterance, Wilmington Revisited and Port of Call were initially published in HARD LUCK CAFE, my first-full length book of poetry—Mount Olive College Press, Copyright 2009.

Let Down Your Hair, Rapunzel was printed in the MYTH AND LITERATURE anthology, sponsored by the Mount Olive Review, Winter/Spring 1993-1994, Copyright 1994.

Her Gift was in the anthology ALWAYS ON FRIDAY, poetry of the Friday Noon Poets, printed by Katherine James Books, Chapel Hill, NC, Copyright 2006.

Lost Love appeared in THE NIGHT THE SAPPERS CAME, my first chapbook of poetry by Mount Olive College Press, Copyright 2005.

TITLE POEM:

Hand in Hand

Supple clay within her arms.

I close my eyes to find the light,

overwhelmed by gentle charms,

I borrow from her gift of sight.

And we walk, beside the sea,

shells and driftwood strewn about.

It’s me