Mark Belair’s poems describe in elegantly concise detail the particulars of his various worlds—childhood, work, adulthood, with its inherent passages into loss. But in addition to describing, his poems also inscribe those details with the emotional depth of his observations, reminding us that it’s in the revered particulars of the places we remember—shop windows, awnings curtained with rain, hospital rooms, cityscapes, dreamscapes—that the universals are revealed.

Max Garland, author of The Word We Used for It, and former Poet Laureate of Wisconsin

Taking Our Time is an extraordinary and candid chronicle of how vision unfolds in the field between seeing and seeming: “feeding not, / it seems, on the unseen / hay and oats but – having worked / the hard seasons true – on this soft / winter paradise.” Work is the keyword here. Like Robert Frost and other New England poets before him, he puts faith in the essential fellowship between labor and vision. The poet acknowledges the syntactic and tonal demands of each perception and uses his masterful control of language to archive the way things “gather… to a keen point of feeling.” Each unit of meaning – sound, word, sentence, line – preserves the inviolable equilibrium of the contemplation that the poet has labored to cultivate. Belair’s moral commitment to the hard work required to reach this point makes Taking Our Time one of the most moving and rigorous contemplations of poetry’s ethical potential.”

Melih Levi, Stanford University

As usual, Mark Belair pays attention to the small nudges life gives us about mortality, fear, loss, and the multiple pleasures intervening. In all, there's the sense that what matters in life is both fleeting and incarnate as history—in stone, sounds, plaster, one’s own face. Reading these, it’s easy to look up from the page and find poetry where only prose theretofore lurked.

Anna Shapiro, author of Living on Air

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Save up to 90% on your favorite items at BargainBookStores.com! Our 20,000 square foot warehouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan is filled with hundreds of thousands of books and consumer goods, all at the lowest prices! We've been serving internet customers with great deals since 2001. All books ship from Grand Rapids, Michigan. 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed We want to ensure your satisfaction. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase or shopping experience, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us by email: cs@bargainbookstores.com. Please be sure to include your contact information and order number. We do not charge a restocking fee for returns. Your Privacy BargainBookStores.com does not provide, sell or market customer information to other businesses or organizations.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

BargainBookStores
3423 Lousma Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49548, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

BargainBookStores guarantees 100% Customer Satisfaction. We ship worldwide and offer a variety of shipping methods to meet your needs. Please place your order directly via ABEBooks.com. We accept payment by MasterCard and Visa. For more information, contact us by email at cs@bargainbookstores.com. Full contact info is below:

BargainBookStores.com LLC
3423 Lousma Dr SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548

Shipping Terms

We will ship to all domestic and most international destinations.

Please note: Shipping times are estimated and are not guaranteed by BargainBookStores.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	4 to 10 business days	4 to 9 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 39.50

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.