Sacraments of Desire

Love, death and longing are archetypal presences in Gregg's intense, sun-drenched lyrics, which have been compared to archaic Greek poetry. Appropriately enough, the first part of this third verse collection charts a search for self-renewal amid Greek farms and beaches, where the poet seeks out a mysterious She who seems a personification of the Earth and of nature as a feminine power. Reattunement to the everyday world, transcendence through sex, and coming to terms with suffering are principal themes of the rest of this poetic cycle, set in locales ranging from New England to Mexico. Like a Zen Buddhist embracing the constant of change, Gregg is ``happy to be painting the river / and dipping my brush in it at the same time.'' (May)