In an attempt to embody a spirit of respect for the land and for life, Mountain View resident Christine Moore’s recent poetry collection, “Lent Words,” released Jan. 19, pays homage to California’s nature.
“Poems are used to describe ourselves, but those are just words that are attached to who we are,” Moore said. “Who I am is something much deeper, so that’s the concept of ‘Lent Words.’ Generations ago, there was a completely different set of languages being used for descriptions; people looking at the same kind of nature that I see living in Northern California, but with a completely different language. That fascinates me.”
“Lent Words” is a collection of 30 poems – a chapbook. A creative writing graduate from UC San Francisco, Moore won the publishing opportunity in a competition hosted by Quillkeepers Press. She started writing last spring.
“I wrote a poem every day for 40 days,” Moore said. “Not all of them were fabulous, but of those, there are 30 of them that
made it to the final manuscript. The deadline for this competition happened to be the day before my birthday, so I took it as a sign.”
The poem “Lent Words,” which shares its name with the collection, focuses on “words you use (or) are on borrow.” The poem includes a line that reads, “We will one day give them back as our tongues turn to dust and our lips ash.”
Although Moore’s poems are notably abstract, her work as the Town Crier’s Food and Wine columnist showed a different side. According to that section’s former editor, Eliza Ridgeway, Moore’s columns were known for being “down to earth, sensible – the exact opposite of what someone might imagine or associate wine with.”
Moore also showcases this side in the poem “Grace,” a physically descriptive poem focused on spring’s joy and hope.
“‘Grace’ is about the coming of spring,” said Ridgeway, who has read several of Moore’s poems. “The seeds are still germinating and the blade – the shoot of the grass – hasn’t come out of the earth yet. That’s before the explosion of color and feeling that comes after.”
Along with describing Moore’s life and surroundings, the poet said “Lent Words” represents a hope that these words will be passed on and lent once more to the reader and provide comfort.
“I’ve loved the words,” Moore said. “I’ve laid them down in the book and I believe that the words have loved me back. Now they belong to the reader. I hope people see themselves in my words, lose sight of me, and maybe get some comfort, healing or curiosity. That would be my ultimate goal.”
“Lent Words” is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon for $14.99.
For more information on Moore and her work, visit writeyum.com.
