Shall We Dance?: Poems of Desire and Meditation

As is seen in Susan K. Hagen's first poem in Shall We Dance? she celebrates not only the natural world but a rare joy in being alive. Just as passion, desire and longing are poetic themes explored again and again in the poems of Mary Oliver, they live on in Hagen's work. And there is a vibrant reverence informing these poems: instead of "a strong wind" being "a cruel wind," it becomes "the kiss of the spirit." Gardens being her "Gethsemane," she brings her readers there for love, protection and ultimately for universal peace. The reader's answer to this poet's question raised in the title poem should be Yes, we will "waltz to the wind" like all the trees of the world.

Through keen observation, Susan K. Hagen unveils a plethora of wisdom by addressing a garden's alluring power to feed the soul. Just as the notable 14th century poet Hafiz presents an idolized Beloved in ghazals that quiet the spirit, the speaker in Hagen's masterful poems offers equally compelling insights gleaned from a Beloved. An experienced gardener, the author addresses an array of themes in lyrical poems that invite the reader to look closely at the natural world-at its trees waltzing to the wind and birds flitting to the rhythm of dance. Collectively, these illuminating poems enrich our lives with revelations that will resonate for years.