Love and City Dreaming is a socially-conscious anthrology representing a prophetic and practical wisdom that only comes from growing up female. She has given herself to the arts to be shaped by its needs. In her poem, Ambition, she muses “With all the impertinence of an ant, her whole universe between the geranium and the back fence Convinced or her importance in the scheme of things Defending her right to roll her egg along and bring her trophy home Defend, or bravely die…Defend or fight to bring my trophy to the tribe Some art that is my own wrung in my blood…” Her humor was who she was. She obviously maintained her child within over the years.
In her poem, The Cost of Lost Women, she worried for those who were, “…accepting things simply because that’s the way things always were, not daring to question our image-makers…Who loses? ...Whoever is at the bottom of the pile African-Americans? Females rank lower our value is commercial Who puts this price tag on the male? She was intent on an even playing field for women and men.
In her poem, Put This on My Grave, she says, “Art is a victory, hardily, dearly won…Art transcends skill and every mastery…Art is a collision of Mind and Spirit…Art talks to the Spirit…Art is the breath of God."
The Bible tells us
"If you bring forth what is within you,
what you bring forth will save you.
What you do not bring forth from
within will destroy you."
Expressing herself creatively, Margaret tapped into a source of inner wisdom and hope for us all. In her poem, Personally Speaking, she worried, “…we moderns have lost contact with our “better selves”, our spiritual source, and our sense of connectedness…what we need, all of us, is healing…”
I imagine she would agree her poetry was all about healing and calling forth power. Not the power of money, hate, jealousy or envy, or not even the power of gun and bomb, but the kind of power we sense in the destiny of a new poem or piece of artwork. The kind of power we feel when we make promises and keep them. The kind of power we feel when surrendering to love.
Her children's poems and limericks remind me a lot of those written by the infamous Shel Silverstein. My favorite book of his was Light in the Attic for children. My favorite poem of Margaret's was Mida the Spider.
Her poem begins, “Mida the spider has a house full of shoes with rooms full of pinks and rooms full of blues…To lace up eight boots can be quite a pain…Eight shoes that fall off Are a menace it’s true Thank goodness this calamity Can’t happen to you.” Personally, if I had eight legs like in her drawing of the adorable Mida, I’d never get anywhere due to the confusion, nor would I ever find all my shoes.
Her illustrations and her words were fun and medicinal. I loved her Picasso-women throughout the book, and who in my head were all powerfull activists. On the front and back covers they had a fluidity of beautiful color, ease and grace about them. I highly recommend this book for its poetry, artwork and photographs perfect for all ages. Five Stars for Amazon and Margaret Havill and John Howard Reid who compiled and edited this gem.
Reviewed by Joyce White
Sculpting the Heart Books, eBooks & Reviews
www.sculptingtheheart.com
www.wingedforarttherapy.com
www.Authorsden.com/johnhowardreid.com
"Art transcends skill and every mastery, art is a collision of mind and spirit".