Hereafter

Felsenthal (Lowly) weaves together the physical and the spiritual in his ethereal sophomore outing. Lush and evocative, these meditative poems transport readers to serene landscapes and reflective inner worlds: “Across the waning crescent/ as silver pennies drop, pods/ of honest light shine on/ the night blooming, jasmine stars/ lay out their scent, a poppy speaks” (“Of Climbing Heaven and Gazing on the Earth”). In “Elegy” and “Before Lighthouses, God Wrecked Ships,” Felsenthal juxtaposes natural elements and human emotions to explore the tension between science and religion: “electrolytes are hard to see/ though they’re everywhere./ Recover quickly/ commands the blue bottle./ When will I be able to leave/ this planet, you asked. Months/ for some, hours for others, I read/ in the hospice brochure. The Earth/ alights on the edge of the ether. Calcium/ in the crust, in the air, in water.” Felsenthal powerfully declares that “the future was memory/ and that was enough for God.” These profound yet accessible poems offer solace and insight to those navigating an unsettled existence. (June)