Welcome

Scott Zeidel's poetry collection takes its inspiration from the Southern California desert, where he lives. Instead of sweeping vistas, many of these poems look closely at small, modest desert life: desert dandelions, blue agaves, monarch butterflies, mockingbirds, kestrels, verdins, and doves, each presented as a quiet source of wonder.

The collection also ranges well beyond nature. "Childhood Quintet" looks back fondly on the author's youth, and "Four Love Songs" offers a playful, tender sequence. Other pieces turn comic or sharp: "Headless Chicken Fish" and "The State of the Union Address" satirize their targets, while "To Be Exact" voices political frustration.

Zeidel writes in a spare, plainspoken style influenced by Japanese haiku, and he uses this compact language to address large subjects such as birth, death, rebirth, and the passage of time. The poems pose these questions without offering tidy resolutions, inviting readers to share in puzzlement and awe.