Perception

Christina Pugh

Perception consists of short poems rooted in observed objects. Using metaphoric description as well as association, the poems inhabit the objects or entities that they contemplate — ranging from paintings and shop signs to wallpaper and flower species. These poems are seeking to enact a tenor of attention — the power of singular focus — that is too easily lost in our multi-tasking age.

“A Smaller Purple” from Perception:

Small	  like the bee’s
balm	 remembered
in the field  – a tatter
in the blossom	   and 
the hue       faded 
eastward:  –   deep   

sips	missing
from the   beveled     
glass that   constitutes  
our	loved  	 
color, violet

About the Author

Praise by Phillis Levin
Praise by Mary Szybist
Praise by Booklist

“Christina Pugh’s Perception transports us, from its opening starburst of phrases, through ravishing particulars....”—Phillis Levin
“…I already find myself returning often to these beautiful, intricate meditations, grateful for what they release, grateful for what they restore.” —Mary Szybist
"...Through her beautiful approach to minimalism, Pugh offers precise musings on objects while simultaneously offering readers the chance to contemplate the poems themselves, which feel like thoughtful prayers or meditations." —Booklist