All of It

<p>In <em>All of It</em> Kat Crawford shows us the sheen glisten prickle and shiver of the things of this world and lets loose with [her] resonant voice. The result is a collection of deliciously imagistic poems that cares about all of it. From the playful cat glasses with copper sparkles to the deadly lies...contagious as leprosy and as much as can be fit between these two extremes-including red lipstick on shapely lips and a dog that knows the sound of toast-Crawford's unforgettable images permeate this passionately crafted chapbook.</p><p><strong>-Terry Lucas</strong> poet poetry coach and Poet Laureate of Marin County California from 2019-2021. His collections include <em>Dharma Rain In This Room If They Have Ears to Hear</em> and his latest book <em>The Thing Itself.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Kat Crawford's <em>All of It</em> celebrates our odd & rangy americanism with poems that are packed with all kinds of stuff- mesquite trees saffron flowers headlights mongoose / feral cats painters healers stealers teachers and drunks. All of it. These are lush and generous poems that invite us to see the common things of the world for the miracles that they are. Her generous eye takes it all in even the splayed guts of human violence. Yet Crawford remains forward-looking like Whitman confident that we can build something good with one blade of dry grass after another. In the darkest of poems she affirms that goddesses and demons walk down the street lighting lamps.</p><p><strong>-Joan Baranow</strong> author of <em>In the Next Life</em> and <em>Living Apart.</em></p><p><br></p><p>In this great flood of the world and its contents emerging poet of the highest water Kat Crawford offers image after astounding image each clear as a precision-cut gem. At once vulnerable and courageous earthy and transcendent this collection is a weaving of uncanny odes and deep remembrances timely urgencies and visionary dreams. Crawford invites us into a sacred realm where everything counts. When she asks in the opening and title poem Can you stay for awhile? my heart leaps to answer: Yes!</p><p><strong>-Prartho Sereno</strong> author of <em>Indian Rope Trick</em> and <em>Elephant Raga</em> founder of the online writing workshop Poetic Pilgrimage: Poem-Making as Spiritual Practice. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>